The Zombie Apocalypce
by Katt-itonic
Summary: This story's first chapter was written for an English project. It is a facfiction about Romeo & Juliet, with Romeo, Juliet, and Benvolio, Catcher in the Rye, with Holden and Pheobe, and To kill a Mockingbird, with Atticus, Scout, and Jem.
1. Chapter 1: A family unrelated

This story was written for an English project, only this chapter though. It is a facfiction about Romeo & Juliet, with Romeo, Juliet, and Benvolio, Catcher in the Rye, with Holden and Pheobe, and To kill a Mockingbird, with Atticus, Scout, and Jem. They are all living in the modern century and this has caused them to be altered from their original clothing and their priorities are much different. They face modern problems and obsticales. This is my English project continued:

"We have to go!" Ben yelled as his thick wavy hair matted to his sweaty forehead. His deep blue eyes were wide and bewildered as he clutched his rifle close. Ben wore tan steal toed boots, camouflage pants covered in paintball splatters, and a faded green shirt.

"Roy, we have to go now! Grab Jewel and let's go!" Ben growled pounding on the wooden door. He turned and put his back to it and breathed heavy. He stared down the stone hallway.

"Keep your head on, I was grabbing a few things" Jewel said rolling her eyes as she opened the door. Ben stumbled in backwards. Jewel was wearing jean capris and a red sports bra under a white tank top. She had a undone black hoodie on. She spun giving a 360 view of herself. She had grey runners on and her chocolate hair was up in a ponytail. Roy was standing next to her in his blue jays baseball cap and camouflage pants and boots that matched Ben's.

Jewel grabbed her bag and threw it onto her back looping both arms in. She took her crossbow that was leaning on the wall just inside the door. The room was dark, Roy must have blown out the candle since he was stuffing something still smoking into his bag. He threw his bag on and the three headed out.

The Museum was well fortified but had no food or running water, only old weapons. Jewel took an old rifle off the wall and hooked it behind her back as they walked. In the main room the stench was worst; they stepped over some shapes in the dark and opened the doors into the rest of the museum. Stepping softly they made their way to the stairs and walked down them careful not to make a noise. They past an Indian war canoe filled with well-done mannequins and a native girl weaving a cloth, the cloth she wore was a bit short so someone could see her plastic bosom.

"Hear that?" Roy asked as he put up his hand signaling everyone to stop. Holding their breaths they heard a banging and low angry growling. They past a glass box with as Eskimo ice fishing to find themselves staring at a door with a man pounding on it. He seemed angry and muddled. He had the night guard's uniform on but it had some red stains over his left shoulder. He was pounding at two swinging doors with large print that clearly stated to pull, not push the doors. Jewel took a step forward and held up her crossbow. She lined it up with the man's head as he turned around. His skin was a dull grey and his eyes had gone fully white. The left side of his face was covered in blood and a chunk of skin was flapping from his jaw.

"Rrraaagggghhhh" he groaned and started half limping towards Jewel. She squeezed the trigger and the man fell to the ground with an arrow through his head. She went up to the corpse and pulled the arrow out. She stared down at it before giving it a harsh kick to the ribs.

Ben grabbed her shoulders pulling her away and Roy took her hugging her close. Tears ran down her face. He looked a lot like Jewel's father who had abandoned her after she ran off to marry Roy, the high school drop-out, not Paris the foreign exchange student who had moved to New York just to be with her. Paris was well off, smart, romantic, and even had a few good jokes but he didn't love _her, _he was in love with how she looked and acted publicly. Roy loved her the way she was privately. She hadn't seen her father since their marriage four years before.

"Hey guys, come take a look. There are two kids in there" Ben said pulling open the one of the doors after looking inside the window. Jewel straightened up and took Roy's hand as they followed Ben. Inside the doors was a small theatre and at the very front there was an older boy was holding an Indian spear replica with a little girl no more than eight years old behind him.

"Hey kid, it's alright, security guards dead, for good this time" Roy said and the boy, holding the girl's hand, walked toward them. They were both a little shaky but were not injured in any way.

"Hello, my names Benvolio, but you can call me Ben, that's Romeo and Juliet" Ben said holding out his hand. The boy shifted a red hunting cap to his other and shook Ben's hand.

"I'm Holden Caulfield and this is my sister Phoebe" Holden said. Holden was wearing a thick over coat, jeans and dress shoes and Phoebe had a pink shirt on and jeans with dazzle beads all over them in flower designs. She had a blue knit hat on making her blonde hair push forwards framing her face. She had gloves that matched.

"You can call me Jewel" Jewel said shaking his hand.

"and I'm Roy for short" Roy said keeping both hands on his rifle.

"What are you guys doing here?" Roy asked.

"We were at the park across the street when some girl with skates on and two guys came after us. I thought they were muggers at first until they grabbed some kid that ran up to them and, well, ate her. What are you guys doing in here?" Holden asked.

"We woke up and found the streets pretty much deserted so we decided to have a paintball war with our friends, there were two more of us but when Cindy started to eat James, we booked it. There was an army road block set up but no one was there. We got some weapons and ammo, Jewel prefers arrows though" Roy said wrapping his arm around Jewel.

"Where are you headed?" Phoebe asked.

"Well reports are that a small farming city is being used as a survivor safe zone. It's in Alabama, Maycomb I think it was called" Jewel told them

"You guys have anywhere to stay?" Ben asked.

"No, we saw our parents in with the other sick people" Holden said squeezing Phoebe's hand.

"Why don't you come along with us, I still have my rifle but use the crossbow. You can have it" Jewel said. They agreed Holden and his sister would come along to Maycomb.

Walking outside the museum the sun blinded them for a few seconds. As their eyes adjusted they saw rows upon rows of abandon cars on the roads and a stench that made them gag. Holden took a red hunting cap out of his pocket and put it on, it looked very out of place but he didn't seem to care so no one said anything. Walking down Main Street it seemed all the walking dead had stayed indoors, as if they preferred to come out at night. Ben walked in the lead showing Holden how to shoot the rifle Jewel had given him. Roy held up the back and Jewel was free to talk with Phoebe.

"So, Holden really loves you doesn't he" Jewel said.

"He just got kicked out of school" Phoebe said.

"So a lot was rough at home huh?"

"Yeah, but he brought me an album, He broke it before I got to play it though"

"It's nice he got you one"

"Holden is a great big brother, just needs to care about stuff once in a while" Phoebe explained. Jewel thought she sort of understood, she wished her dad would have cared about her more than the family name, maybe asked her what she wanted not just make her marry rich. Her dad was the state governor of New York; Paris had the potential of taking his place.

Roy found a jeep and, by siphoning off abandoned cars, managed to gather enough gas to drive to Alabama. The roads were long and surrounded by farm fields. Every now and then they would pass a dead body on the road or see one walking across it. They didn't have the ammunition to exterminate the zombified people, just keep them away.

As they got closer to Maycomb billboards and plywood set up with arrows pointing to Maycomb had 'safe zone' sprayed across them. Then, just a hundred miles away, a sign was in the middle of the road. Roy was driving, he stopped the car and everyone read the sign with a smile spreading across their faces.

'Welcome to civilization, WELCOME TO MAYCOMB' was written in huge red letters on a billboard.

"I can't wait for a warm shower" Ben said.

"I can't wait for you to have a shower, warm or cold, as long as it has soap" Jewel laughed.

Spirits were high as they drove around the sign and headed down the old country road. They came to the town but the military bunkers were empty. The town was deserted. It was getting dark and the small town couldn't have had that many people so they decided to stay the night. Driving up to an old clock tower everyone got out and grabbed their bags. The doors were in good shape, easy to barricade. Inside they closed the two giant wooden doors into the clock tower. Roy and Ben found some desks in a room used for storage and pushed them into the door to block it up. The group began its climb up the stairs to the tower.

"Hey, I was hoping for food, not, like, thirty flights of stairs" Roy puffed.

"Oh cut your whining it's only five" Ben said rolling his eyes. Finally Roy was listening to him, did Roy listen to him about Jewel being dangerous, about marrying her being a bad idea, about anything? No. Not until a zombie apocalypse did Roy care about what happened to those around him. He was a wimp but as stubborn as an ox, a love sick ox who'd fall for anyone with Jewel's looks. Ben had taken off after Roy had gotten into a street fight with some rival kid, Tyler, and got their best friend killed. Ben still blamed him for it but wasn't going to suffer the loss of another friend. Plus Jewel wasn't that bad, she was cautious and a good shot.

At the top they walked around the big bronze bell to look over the town. Shadows had crept over the town and as it did the dead had come out to roam on the lookout for a living creature to feast on. Ben was amazing how Phoebe had held onto her innocence, Holden covered her eyes and told her not to look, he was very protective of her. Phoebe was smart but she didn't see that if it wasn't for her, he would have no ties to keep going, even if there was no apocalypse. She was everything he had, he sat down against the stone half wall to keep anyone from falling off the tower. Phoebe lay down in his arms. She pushed her chin under his neck.

"Guys look!" Jewel yelled and pointed at a man and two children running toward the tower, three farmers were chasing them.

Hearts beating in their ears, their father had both their hands, his rifle was empty. He was a sure shot but not a bar fighting hand to hand type of man. _Shwoop_. One of the three figures chasing fell to the ground with an arrow in his neck with a bright red feather on it**. BANG**. Another fell. _Shwoop_. The last one fell but got up again and dragged his leg with an arrow through it. **BANG**. He fell.

"I got him, don't worry" Roy said holding his rifle high. Jewel gave him a look then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Oh where would I be without my Romeo?" She asked and he hugged her close. Ben cleared his throat, annoyed.

"You two go unblock the doors and get them inside, Holden and I will keep an eye out up here" Ben said. Roy and Jewel ran quickly down the stairs.

The three of them ran to the door, there were no other zombies around. Roy came back up the stairs with two young children followed by a tall man with glasses. Jewel followed them up.

"Hello, thank you for saving us. I've got no idea what has gotten into the towns people" The man said

"It's a sickness that makes dead people, well, not so dead. But they become cannibals" Ben said and stuck out his hand.

"My name is Benvolio, that's Juliet, Romeo, Holden, and Phoebe" Ben said and the man shook his hand.

"Pleased to meet you, I'm Atticus Finch and these are my children Jean Lousie and Jeremy" Atticus said. He was tall and thin. He had a lawyers suit on with shiny dress shoes and round glasses. He was clean cut and spoke very fatherly.

"Everybody calls me Jem, and Jean goes by Scout" Jeremy said sticking out his hand to shake and Ben shook it. Scout didn't shake, she was still in a state of shock, she was only a young child. She had short brown hair in a bowl cut like a boy. She wore a red plaid shirt under a pair of jean overalls. She looked like a little boy. Her brother, Jem, had on a blue plaid shirt and a pair of jean overalls that were more scuffed up than Scouts.

"We got a long night; they don't go away until morning. So, what's your story Atticus?" Roy asked as he sat down with Jewel in his arms. Holden sat back down with Phoebe falling asleep on his shoulder and Atticus had both his children tucked into his sides. Ben sat on the edge of the half wall with his rifle keeping watch.

"At first we thought there was another mob. There was a trial here a few days ago and I was defending a boy named Tom Robinson, a coloured boy. There was a drunken mob that had come to the town jail to kill Tom but Scout talked them down. After the case Tom's accuser, Bob Ewell said he would get his revenge even though he did win the trial and Tom was charged. But folk around here don't go about eating one another so we knew something was wrong. I thought they had gone mad as a dog in January" Atticus said. Jewel looked up at Roy with a strange look on her face.

"Rabies, he means rabies" Ben said, his eyes still on the road below.

Later that night Atticus was on watch and Scout sat beside Phoebe. They got to talking and were amazed by how they thought the same. They both agreed their brothers were almost impossible to understand every once in a while but they both were very protective of their little sisters. They both had moments of disobedience and sometimes did things they couldn't explain. The two girls giggled and watched Holden and Jem talk. They were sitting on the wall and Jem was pointing out where the Radley place was.

"After he saved us he just went back into the house, I'll bet he's still there too. Folk won't bother him. He is scarier than Boo Radley's father…and he has been dead for a while now" Jem looked around for a bit at the people stumbling around and pointed out one man "That's him there"

"What's so scary about the Radley boy? Who cares gaddamnit?" Holden asked

"Holden quit swearing" Phoebe hissed.

"What the hell's wrong with swearing?" Scout asked.

"It is not polite, and don't say hell" Phoebe said, she was on the ball about people staying polite even during everything. Roy got up and laid Jewel's head down on the wooden floor as she slept and sat on the wall beside Holden and Jem.

"So, what are we going to do?" Roy asked.

"About what?" Atticus asked turning around to join the conversation.

"Well are we going to stick together or what? This was supposed to be the safe zone, it's not. Would you guys want to come with us?" Ben asked. Everyone looked around at each other for a bit.

"I'd like to stay together. I think we'd have a better chance" Holden said, a spark in his eye.

"Yesum, I want to stay too Atticus, I want to stay with Phoebe" Scout said. She didn't much care for 'girly' things but Phoebe and she had really hit it off. Everyone seemed to just fit together like a puzzle.

"Oh Romeo, my Romeo. Where art thou Romeo?" Jewel yawned.

"Right here Juliet, I won't be going anywhere" Roy smiled and waved at his slowly waking wife. They were each other's only family since they faked their deaths.

Everyone just seemed to click together like they were old friends and they decided they would stay together and try to pick up the pieces of their former selves after the sickness had torn apart every major city and every small town. It had taken over most of America and the group was together because of it. They decided to head south, to Mississippi. It was called a very strong red-neck state and had managed to keeps its ground, even when the military couldn't.

Atticus, the father type kept everyone under his watchful eye and proved his sure shot almost every day, Phoebe was getting some tough training from Scout and in return Scout was learning that being a girl wasn't so bad. Holden had made a breakthrough and became good friends with Ben and Jem. Roy and Jewel gave the group its first glimmer of hope as they reached Mississippi when they not only found it was a safe place but that Jewel was pregnant. Even after the group began rebuilding their own separate lives, they stayed together, a strange friendship that was rare between such different people. Though with no goverment functioning they learned other countires had fallen just as bad, rescue would not come from overseas, if it came at all.


	2. Chapter 2: Return of the plagued life

Chapter 2: return of plagued life

"Atticus" Jem said pulling on his father's shirt "Atticus, I think James is sick"

After the plague made the town not only feel sick of him for standing up for a black man but want to literally eat him. The town was taken over, Atticus fended off the cannibalistic neighbors until his gun was empty, the coast looked clear. Making a mad dash for the town clock tower three farmers from just outside town were behind them in a flash. Their jaws dripped with blood of a horse they had been ripping apart. There were already refugees in the tower, and they were more than willing to lend a hand. Quickly the farmers were picked off, two by gun, one by arrow. Atticus was let into the tower and met a couple, Roy and Jewel and their best friend Ben who were out playing paintball with their friends Cindy and James. Cindy became infected and she infected James, running for safety they found Holden and his younger sister Pheobe. Maycomb was supposed to be a safe town but not more than an hour after the military barricades were set up were they infected.

After that the newly formed group headed for Mississippi, the red neck part of the woods, where they met Frank and his son James. They were hunters. James was about Ben's age, 18, although Jewel, Roy, and Holden were all around the same age. Jem had turned 15, Scout 9, and Pheobe 10. James led his own gang of misfit hunters, which came with its own strange ways. There was Lannah who who was a master hunter, usually scoring the biggest kill, Katie who kept a smile on her face the best she could and took care of everyone's creature comforts, Kaseja who was Katie's dog was the fluffiest and cutest zombie tracking Labrador in all of Mississippi, and then there was Matt who had ended a relationship with Katie and it was only by her and Lannah's mercy that he was saved, though Lannah still had a slow and harsh death lined up for him if Katie gave the sign.

"Hey James?" Scout called from the tree she was climbing in outside the tornado bunker. Atticus and Jem were sitting just outside it. The big wooden door creaked as the wind lifted it and dropped it just enough to make the hinges whine. The grass had been blowing in the wind but after Scout's words left her mouth it seemed to stop, as if the wind was holding its breath, waiting.

A low growl came from James as he was standing in the middle of the dirt path that led from the bunker to a quaint little white house with a white picket fence. He was hunched over, his long blonde hair was hiding his face but he was staring at his hands. He flipped them over twice, as if there was something wrong. He was wearing blue jeans and an old red paint shirt spattered in white and green paint. Then, slow as molasses, thick ruby red blood dripped from behind the hair down to his hand. He threw his head up suddenly and the blood sprayed from his gapping jaws, his teeth being each outlined in fine red. His eyes had gone white, only a faint pupil was left of his dark chocolate brown eyes. Scout jumped backwards from the sight, right out of the tree. **THUD.**

The sound of her hitting the ground made James throw his head in her direction, no, it was no longer James. James had sworn to protect them as his own, this man was not James, not anymore, he was hungry. The zombified James curled his lip in a snarl. He walked stiff, at first, then as the infection took control of his movement he was in a full run. His body was not yet rotting or decomposing, he was not injured or disabled in anyway. He was the most dangerous type of zombie. A fresh one.

"Atticus!" Jem yelled as Scout was more frozen in fear then she was at the Radley house after her tire rolled inside the gates. Atticus took up his empty shotgun, there wasn't time to reload it, he held the barrel in both hands and pulled it up behind him. James's attention did not leave Scout even as he saw Atticus coming at him. Atticus was old, older than most fathers, but Scout was his daughter and he suddenly had the strength and speed of twenty year old in their prime. He swung the shotgun fast and knocked James in the forehead. **CRUNCH.**

The impact of the swing and the full run at the butt of the gun made James's forehead ripple. The hit made a shockwave roll up the gun into Atticus's shoulder.

James fell to the dirt causing a small puff of dust to fly up around him. Atticus grabbed his shoulder in sudden pain. He held the gun in his right arm and held his shoulder with his left. He looked down at the fallen leader. Atticus hadn't much cared for him, James preached a lot about hate.

Atticus turned his attention to Scout who was still frozen. He dropped the gun and it fell without a sound. He knelt down to Scout and lifted her up with his left arm holding her close. She buried her head in the side of his neck and he turned to make his way to the house.

"Come Jem" was all Atticus said, the words were formal but his voice struggled to keep from cracking. He didn't want his children to think of him with a gun let along shooting anyone. But he would do so if he had to to protect his children. Jem ran up to his side with the shot gun and a handful of bullets. He had been watching Atticus and the others closely and copied them, snapping the shotgun in two and loading two bullets in. He snapped it shut and held the barrel with one hand, he had grown taller but the butt of the gun dragged in the dirt. Atticus was too focused on Scout to notice his son was reloading a gun as if it were his own.

Inside the big oak door everyone was sitting in the living room, the couches had been brought from other abandoned houses. One was a worn green leather loveseat and there was an almost new fake red fur couch, it looked like something from the 80's, Katie was brushing it through her fingers as she sketched something. There was a wood burning fireplace where Holden and Pheobe were curled up listening to Lannah talking about a bear hunt she had been on, her hand gestures matching those of a bear. Matt was reading one of his favourite books, Robin Hood. Scout had just then processed what had happened and began to pout, Jem would have called her a girl and a cry baby but he didn't, he felt like he would have cried too. Everyone looked up and Lannah stopped her story and turned to look at the three as Scouts soft pouts seemed to echo off the ugly mustard walls.

"James?" Matt said weakly as if hoping he would be following them through the door.

"He is no longer with us" Atticus said and continued down the hall past the kitchen to the stairs. Everyone was silent as the stairs groaned under the father's weight.

"He got sick" Jem said and leaned the gun up against the living room wall and sat down beside Katie on the fur couch.

"You okay?" Katie asked.

"I reckon so" Jem said and lay his head back letting his head sink until the fur tickled his ears. He let out a sigh like someone had just sat on his chest. Everyone returned to what they were doing, matt looked down at his book, Katie retraced the same line over and over and Lannah spoke in a lower voice. It was like the air had been sucked out of the room, like something needed to be said but no one had the words. Jem stared at the ceiling; he could tell everyone was thinking hard about what they could say.

"Where are Ben and the love birds?" Holden finally blurted out breaking the silence; although he almost whispered it the reaction was as if he'd just popped a big balloon. If they'd been dogs their ears would have perked as they slid their tail between their legs.

"I think they went out to the old oak by the lake" Matt said as Atticus came into the room.

"No, Jewel was tired, she went to take a nap in the basement room" Lannah said.

"Something infected James and we should find them before it does" Atticus was very serious, when he got serious a crease developed on his forehead. Jem had never seen it before; he reckoned it was from stress.

"I'm coming" Jem said.

"I need you to look after your sister Jem, Katie you stay with the chillin would you?" Atticus said.

"Sure thing Mr. Finch" Katie nodded sitting up. Lannah had her shotgun in hand, she cocked it sending an old empty round flying across the room. It hit the floor and rolled under the furry couch. Jem got down and pulled it out and dusted it off. He reached it out to Lannah.

"Thanks" she said and shoved it in her pocket. Lannah never really talked much only when she told stories of her past, according to Katie and Matt she used to talk a lot, then again the whole zombie situation was a bit overwhelming. Everyone had changed somehow. Pheobe ran upstairs to check on Scout as instructed by Holden. Holden had changed, Pheobe told Scout, that he used to be so out of it, like he was in another world but when things became very simple like protection, shelter, and food instead of school work he had become so connected with everyone. He had reason to go on, more than just Pheobe, he had the group.

"But he just hit him, Atticus would never hurt anybody" Scout sobbed in confusion.

"But James was going to hurt you Scout" Pheobe tried. They were sitting on Scout's cot; her face was still down in the pillow, only lifting up to answer Pheobe. The cot was old, it had a few holes in it but it could hold Scout. The room had two other beds, a mattress on the floor for Jem and Holden and a real bed for Atticus and Pheobe. Roy, Jewel, Ben, and the newer group had another room.

"Atticus didn't hurt nobody" Jem growled "James was as sick as Tim Johnson, Atticus killed him like he did that sick old dog. That wasn't James"

"It wasn't?" Scout sniffled.

"Nope" Jem nodded and put on a brave big brother face "That was like that movie we saw in the moving pictures in the big city Holden took us to, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, James wasn't himself no more, he was another person, a bad person. Like Dr. Jekyll, he didn't want to hurt nobody but Mr. Hyde did, James didn't want to hurt you but the man Atticus hit did"

Pheobe was amazed at how well Jem put it, and how gently. Jem moved closer to the cot and sat down beside Pheobe. He was picking at his overalls nervously. Scout jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck, Jem held her back.

"It's okay now, Atticus is no different. Atticus would never hurt James, that man just looked a lot like him" Jem told her, he didn't think it would work but Scout nodded making the comparison to the movie.

Out at the old oak by the lake only a few fields away from the white farm house Atticus, Lannah, and Holden came across Roy and Ben in the heat of battle. Ben had Roy pinned by sitting on top of him holding his arms down. He was whispering something into Roy's ear. Roy didn't like whatever it was and squirmed free kicking Ben off him. He sent Ben to his feet stumbling backwards into the oak tree hitting it hard enough for some leaves to shake off the branches. Ben regained his balance and spit blood to the pact dirt.

"If you dare try that again I will make sure next time you get yourself trapped by those blood thirsty demons I will leave you there" Ben growled as Roy got to his feet. Roy had a bloody nose and staggered a bit. He stumbled to one side and Atticus came into his view from where he had been behind the oak tree.

"Hello there Mr. Finch, just a friendly tussle here is all. No worries" Roy coughed. Atticus had come to trust Ben, Ben had saved Jem twice and was teaching him how to defend himself without the use of guns. Roy however was known for getting into trouble; Atticus didn't trust him as far as he could spit.

"Hello Mr. Finch" Ben waved walking into view. The two men made their way up to meet the group. Lannah led them back, Atticus and Ben hung back.

"What happened?" Atticus asked.

"I can handle it" Ben said.

"What is it Benvolio" Atticus asked again, he knew Ben had been looking at him like a father.

"Roy… he just…Roy was going to take Jewel out to the woods. I know he meant well but he just can't be going about things without thinking. He could have gotten Jewel killed if it weren't for James helping me fend off some farmers" Ben explained.

"Did James get bitten?"

"No, he came close, one woman just about bit his nose off when he got pinned but he didn't get bitten, I don't think. Why? What's happened?"

"James was infected, he went after Scout. I had to stop him" Atticus said. Ben was deep in thought, processing the news.

"Actually I am pretty sure he got cut, he was bleeding, but he said he cut himself on the axe in the yard when he was chopping wood"

"That would explain it; Lannah said there were a few corpses left over from last night so she used the axe to chop them up so she could burn them. If he cut himself on the axe where it hadn't been cleaned then he would have gotten infected"

"Yeah, it's a long shot, but maybe Lannah didn't clean it off"

The two thought of other ways James could have gotten infected. Lannah told Roy the news, he took it quietly. Silently he was sure it was his fault James was gone, his taking Jewel to the woods was a bad idea but he just wanted them to have some time alone. But something, something deeper, was chewing at his insides that no one but Jewel could see.

"Are you alright?" Matt asked her from the bathroom door. She was vomiting; Matt could hear the gags echoing in the toilet bowl.

"I'm fine" She coughed "Just some bad meat"

"But no one else got sick" Matt said.

"Just get out of here!" She growled. Matt took off back down the stairs. Jewel leaned against the wall beside the toilet. She slid down to the floor. Her face streaked with tears, she held her stomach, the air was being sucked out of the room. Jewel gasped for air she could not find. Salty tears ran over her lips. She sniffled and wiped her nose on the back of her hand. Her vision blurred with tears. She got up and took a few deep breaths. She had to be strong, not let anyone see her cry. Only the original eight knew she was pregnant. She didn't want the others to know and, under the groups tight bond, no one told.

Once they got inside everyone was waiting in the living room. Everyone seemed to be waiting for Atticus to say something when he came in. Ben stood beside him, not abandoning his side, and held his head slightly tilted toward the ceiling.

"Lannah did you clean the axe?" Atticus asked.

"Yeah, left it in a tub of bleach overnight" Lannah said with a hint of offence in her voice.

"Something infected James, if it was not the axe it must have been a runner encounter we don't know about" He said and left the room to speak with Scout. On his way to her room he heard crying coming from the bathroom. He opened the door slightly and saw Jewel. She was trying to wipe away her tears but they kept coming. Atticus went inside and closed the door behind him.

"Jewel?" He asked softly.

"Mr. Finch could you keep a secret?" She asked. Atticus studied her for a bit.

"I reckon so" he said.

"I just have to get it off my chest, its Ben, it's just…" Jewel whispered through her pouts.

"I'm not one to judge Jewel" He said to encourage her. Atticus could see she was in a lot of pain.

"My baby, it's Ben's" Jewel said suddenly. She felt the snot on the back of her hand start to dry, her eyes fell to the floor. She felt Atticus's gaze burning into her. He thought for a moment.

"It's not like we planned it or anything, it just happened. Roy is just so immature and still thinks we can be two rebellious teens but I'm pregnant. I don't want to tell him until my baby is born. I don't think he'll change though" Jewel explained.

"Does Benvolio know?" he asked. Jewel nodded. Atticus rubbed his chin, his clean shaven face was growing hairier then he'd ever had it. Atticus was not one to keep secrets but Roy could be quite unstable when he was angry.

Atticus told Jewel not to worry, that he would make sure nothing would happen to her or her child, but he wasn't completely sure of himself. Jewel had cheated on her husband but her husband was an immature and put the group in several dangerous situations, for Jewel's safety he would keep her and Ben's secret. After leaving Jewel to clean up he found Pheobe and Scout playing in their room. Scout seemed to be fine but he stood in the doorway and watched them. Scout was becoming a very strong but polite young girl, he was proud.

"Atticus, what 'cha doing?" Scout asked. She then half turned her head so she could see Atticus then hung her head back to see Atticus upside down.

"Just came up to see how you were doing" Atticus said.

"I'm fine, Jem explained everything to me" Scout said and turned back to Pheobe. Pheobe was teaching her how to braid a doll's hair.

"He did, did he?" Atticus asked raising a brow. He left the girls to play and found Jem on the porch. Jem explained to Atticus what he had told Scout.

"Good boy Jem" He said ruffling Jem's hair. Jem loved it.

Inside Holden was racing into the living room.

"Hey, you guys know that ginger ale that settled Jewel's stomach?" Holden asked crumbling his red hunting cap in his hands. Everyone nodded.

"I sort of just had the last one, who wants to come with me into town to get more?" Holden asked.

"I do" Katie said jumping up. She saw no one else volunteering and blushed. Holden smiled.

"Okay, meet me out front. I need to get my shotgun" He said. Matt growled at Holden, on the inside though. He was half of Holden's size and still felt he had boyfriend privileges.

Outside Katie shoved a pistol in the front of her pants and Holden cocked his shotgun. The Town was not too far off but it was far enough to make the trip dangerous. They stopped by Frank's grave and just paused for a moment, not saying a word, and then they walked on without a word said. Holden took off his hunting hat. When Frank was alive he kept a few horses the group could use to get around but four, well fed, caged, and sleeping horses were too much for zombie's to resist. Frank had gone down trying to protect his horses but lost his life along with them.

"I don't see anyone" Holden said looking about the town as they grew closer to the main grocery store. Katie wrenched open the door and snuck in.

"Hoard!" Katie screamed from inside the store. Holden started to run inside but Katie ran into him from behind a store shelf. They fell but she picked herself up and kept running. She grabbed Holden`s arm and dragged him to his feet. Holden didn't look behind him, he could hear the moans of the dead as they did their best to run.

"What did you do?" Holden yelled as they raced down the road toward home.

"They got in somehow, must have been holding up until morning" Katie called back to him as she got a lead on him. She looked back and saw about a dozen or so zombies after them. Two of them looked fresh, two travellers. They got on the dirt road on their way home and Katie started to yell for help, Holden did as well. Lannah and Atticus stood on the porch with their guns drawn. Katie and Holden ran inside and, as Atticus and Lannah held off the faster zombies, everyone made their way to the bomb shelter quickly. Phoebe and Scout shuddered as Lannah and Atticus closed the doors behind them. Down through the dirt tunnel they trudged until they got to a huge metal door. Lannah unlocked it and everyone got inside. It was a 8x8m solid metal room, a bomb shelter built to withstand a nuclear attack. It had three air filters going up to the surface to keep air clean. There was enough food to last a year or so, for all of them. The hoard would lose interest in them soon enough and wander off so they could find an easier prey. The tornado shelter had been upgraded during the war then again when gas attacks had been invented. When nuclear power plants had become a health issue where mutants were said to come from, the tornado shelter had become a complete room locked away from the outside, not even a fly could make it through the defences.

Zombies couldn't think but the disease drove them to further the infection and they could not last long, human bodies were not made to consume raw flesh, they were at one point but the organ to do so died off. So zombies continued to rot as they walked the earth, they were driven to further the infection until the day they could no longer move and rotted into the earth. They did not have time to wait for a year or so, they'd rather try and catch a stray cat that escaped.

"Are they going to get in Atticus?" Jem asked staring at the four inch thick metal door as the locks inside grinded metal locking into place with the wall.

"No one or thing will get in except for the filtered air" Lannah said putting her shotgun down "We're safe in here"

"How much food do we have?" Holden asked. His face was scarcely shown in the dim light from one hanging bulb close to fading away. Lannah threw down a switch on the wall that was hidden by the dark.

"Enough, but we can't stay here too long. There's another passage but we'll have to wait awhile" Katie said catching her breath.

The hours were long as days, the two days felt like years. There was food and water but no toys, nothing to entertain them. Atticus couldn't bring himself to tell Scout a story like she asked, he asked Lannah to share one of hers. All he could see was Scout's horrified face when he closed his eyes. He shook the image from his mind.

"Atticus?" Jem whispered sitting beside Atticus against the metal wall at the back of the shelter.

"Yes Jem?" Atticus answered.

"I know you had to, it wasn't your fault it was no one's" Jem said but he couldn't meet his father's eyes.

"It's not time to worry yet Jem, it's not time to worry" Atticus sighed and wrapped his arm around Jem. Jem laid his head on his father's shoulder. He knew Atticus wouldn't hurt anybody if he didn't have to and tried to think of James like old Tim Johnson. It was hard though, after seeing Atticus save Scout the way he did but the sight didn't taint Atticus's image, it furthered it. Jem felt safer knowing Atticus could protect them if he had to; Atticus saw it as making violence acceptable.

"Argh, I'm so angry I could kill you...but so happy I could hug you!" Jewel suddenly exclaimed. She had Holden's bag in her lap holding a ginger ale.

"So I will settle with a thank you and" She said giving Holden a punch to the shoulder "and a punch"

"You're welcome?" Holden said rubbing his shoulder. Matt pulled Holden a good distance away from her as she cracked a can open and drank it happily. Holden shook him off.

"What are you doing?" Holden growled.

"She's married" Matt warned

"I know she's married, I've known her a lot longer than you have and she's been married the entire time" Holden said harshly "So leave me alone"

"It should be morning by now, I'm going up" Lannah said cocking her shotgun "Katie"

"Yeah?" Katie asked still making sure everyone was okay.

"Where is Kaseja?" Lannah asked. Katie got up and took the revolver from the back of her jeans and checked that she was fully loaded.

"In her cave" Katie said and Holden got up and readied his own shotgun.

"It would be smarter to stay here" Matt shouted as Atticus also got up. Everyone hesitated for a moment before glaring at Matt until it seemed he would randomly combust into flames. Everyone got up and got ready as if everyone but Matt had come up with the same plan and all knew their parts. Kaseja was a part of their group, most would say she was just a dog, but she was more than that. Through all the change and horror taking place she still wagged her tail and acted happy, just like Katie, and would protect her pack until her dying breath, just like Katie.

"You're not going to leave me here are you?" Matt asked nervously as Lannah opened the door after making sure the coast was clear.

"No, it just seems you've decided not to follow us" Holden growled and everyone filed outside "I knew you were just fake"

Holden closed the door behind him and climbed up into the light of the day. He followed the line as it snaked around the house and right into the forest close to where Roy and Ben had been fighting. Katie gave a short cry as she found Kaseja, she had been injured but not by a bite. She had tried to dig further back into her cave out of so much fear that she had hit rock and kept trying to dig until she had filed her nails down until they bled. Holden quickly took off his shirt and cut it in two, wrapping Kaseja's aching paws. He then lifted her and carried her on his shoulders across the back of his neck. He held her front paws in one arm, her back in his other. Lannah moved ahead to scout out the safe vehicle that James had hidden to keep flight options open if a hoard was too large to fight off.

Lannah found it with ease. It was a soccer mom van that had been modified and fortified to be as silent and strong as possible when sneaking through a town but as fast as possible when being chased by a hoard or thieves. Though thieves were rarely seen and it was dangerous to travel alone in the first place, times were far past desperate and some people just could not find it in themselves to trust a small group and stay with them or they just could not face losing anyone they grew close too, again. Lannah started up the van and rolled it through town at a good pace until she hit the open road and sped up.

"Where are going?" Scout asked breaking the silence.

"There has to be someone out there, anyone" Pheobe said and Lannah turned on a radio taken from a transport and Atticus, sitting in shotgun, began tuning it. The road was long and empty of life; the van was filled with the sounds of snow filling the radio. Thoughts were of home, warmth, and safety but reality was far from it.


	3. Chapter 3: The Crazy New Chick

Chapter 3: The Crazy New Chick

Tires screeched and the van spun as it came to an abrupt stop in the hitch along the country road. Katie, who had been driving, checked that everyone was okay before bolting out of the car. Lannah was hot on her tail, having been in the passenger side.

"Katie, are you nuts?! That's a zombie!" Lannah shouted raising her shotgun.

"No" Katie shouted back and pushed at the body in the middle of the road "She screamed when she saw the front of the van"

"Don't get too close" Lannah said and Katie pushed the body onto its back.

"It's a girl" Katie said kneeling down to the body "She's alive"

By the time Katie had the girl's hair untangled from her face the rest of the crew had gotten out to see what was going on.

"She's so pretty!" Pheobe exclaimed but scout held her back.

"She can't be alive, not alone out here" Scout said and Jem stood beside her watching the girl carefully.

"Miss?" Atticus asked tapping the girl's cheek with his palm gently "Miss?"

"They're everywhere!" the girl screamed and lurched up. Atticus held her and pushed her back down.

"Calm down, you're safe, there's nothing to worry about" Atticus hushed the girl and she started to relax.

"They're dead, all of them, everyone. They're following me" the girl mumbled.

"She's out of it" Holden said.

"Let's get the van out of the ditch, we'll take her with us" Jewel shouted from the van, her Roy and Ben were trying to push the car out of the ditch. Lannah and Holden ran to help and Atticus lifted the girl up. Katie picked the sticks and leaves out of the girls hair as the van slowly rolled up the hill and back onto the road.

Atticus laid the girl in the back of the van beside Kaseja who sniffed her bit with a wag of her tail. Everyone got back into the van and Katie turned the key. The engine revved, started, sputtered, and died.

"Murderer" Holden teased.

"What?" Katie growled.

"You killed the van" Holden said poking Katie in the back. She flinched and turned slapping Holden up the side of the head.

"I'll fix it" Roy said getting out and signaling for Katie to pop the hood. He lifted up the hood and looked around inside before slamming it shut and jumping back in. Katie started up the van and revved perfectly. They began to drive and the girl in back fell asleep curled up to Kaseja.

"I don't trust her" Scout said sitting on her knees and peering over the backseat at the girl. Atticus pulled her onto his lap as Roy crawled into the back with the girl. He sat down and pulled the girl's head onto his stomach to keep her head elevated in case she was sick.

"Who?" the girl mumbled after an hour or so and rubbed her eyes "Am I being moved to a new place? I knew those were just nightmares"

Everyone sort of shook their heads sadly and let out painful sighs. Roy stroked the girl's hair and tried to pull the right words that would rip the girl back into her nightmare, more, gently.

"I'm sorry" was all he could say. The girl turned toward him and looked up at him. He continued to stroke her hair, finding it the only thing he could do.

"Then I'm not crazy?" She asked "You see them too?"

"The walking dead people trying to eat other people?" Scout asked sitting back up to peer over the seat.

"No..." the girl hesitated "The little blue creatures"

"Atticus is she crazy?" Jem asked and Jewel jabbed her elbow in his ribs.

"No Jem, she is probably just confused" Atticus said giving Jewel a careful glare.

The road continued to stretch for miles through forests without any sight of civilization. Atticus took the wheel and let the others slept soundly. The girl had been moved up to the center of the two front seats.

"You don't see them, do you?" she asked half awake. Atticus looked down at her for a second then back at the road.

"No" he admitted "but you're not crazy"

"My Uncle thought so" she said sitting up and resting her chin on her forearms on the dashboard "So he sent me to a nut house"

"What's your name?" Atticus asked trying to change the subject.

"Anya" She said yawning.

"That's a nice name"

"So the dead people, you can see _them _right?" Anya asked.

"Yes, sadly enough"

"But they can't hurt us" Anya said closing her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"The blue creatures, they protect me, and you guys helped me" Anya said dozing off "So they'll protect you too"

Atticus watched her nod sideways and lean off the dashboard and land her head on Holden's shoulder. He woke up at her touch and chuckled. He rubbed his eyes and looked over to Atticus.

"Try and stay awake" Atticus said and the drive continued through the night until the crack of dawn. The sun crept over the horizon as if it knew and feared what it might bring light to. Its rays shone into the van like golden tears begging the bodies to wake with innocent eyes. Anya was the first to wake and rub her eyes to meet the sun's gentle warmth. She opened the passenger door and stepped down onto the dew covered grass of a field Atticus had parked in. She felt the dew chill her ankles as she saw a flash of blue through a pile of mangled cars on the side of the road.

"Anya?" Roy mumbled rubbing his eyes as he peeked out the back window. Kaseja was whining and licking Katie's face. She pushed Kaseja off and looked out the same window as Roy. Spotting Anya rushing toward the mess she popped the trunk and got out the back. Kaseja followed Katie out to the mess. Anya had vanished behind the pile up and Kaseja looked to Katie for instruction.

"Sniff her out" Roy said coming up behind the two.

"She can't, she doesn't know Anya's scent" Katie growled.

"Calm down" Roy chuckled and roughed patted Kaseja's head. He felt her muscles tensing and pulled his hand away just narrowly escaping her jaws.

"No one touches or speaks to her but me" Katie said walking ahead. She drew her dagger and climbed up onto a flipped jeep. Kaseja leaped up after her and they spotted Anya running back towards the van from around a swing in the road. She was holding something in her arms that slowed her.

"Oh" Katie said, her jaw dropping. Kaseja's back and neck fur stood on end as she growled like a bear. Roy pulled himself up onto the jeep and gasped.

"Start the car!" Roy screamed as he ran back to the van. Katie and Kaseja ran fearlessly toward Anya as a hoard larger than anything they had ever seen was gaining on her. Katie got to her and threw her weight backwards to stop her momentum toward the hoard and bring up her speed toward the van. Katie grabbed the item from Anya's hands and felt it squirm. She pulled it close it her chest, whatever it was had been tucked into a backpack.

Just then Holden had started up the car and drifted a half donut in the grass kicking up dirt and grass at the hoard. Lannah slid the side door back and Kaseja jumped into the van.

"Hey crazy bitch, give me your hand!" she shouted and Anya grabbed Lannah's hand and was pulled into the van. She then grabbed Katie's hand and pulled her in.

"Are out of your mind? You could have gotten us all killed! Katie why did you even go after her, she's a danger to us all" Lannah shouted irritated.

"Calm down" Jewel shouted at Lannah.

"We have enough to worry about with you! We don't need a crazy chick!" Lannah shouted back.

"Oh really? How have I slowed us down one bit?"

"Zombies can pick up the scent of your barf! Like any other predator!"

"What are you even talking about?!"

"Cut the act" Lannah growled as the van bumped and rattled.

"What?" Jewel said starting to get nervous. She could feet her skin growing sticky from sweat, all eyes on her.

"We all know your freaking prego"

Jewel could not think of anything to say, she had tried so hard to hide her signs and clues. She had made sure no one in the original group told, and yet Lannah had figured it out.

"That was a secret?" Katie blinked.

"Oh god" Jewel sighed and lay her face in her hands. Roy put his arm around her but she pushed him off.

"Guys, hold on to something!" Holden shouted as the grassy field came to an abrupt stop and fell straight down a steep cliff. Atticus spun the wheel and slammed on the brakes but the van skidded in the turn and flipped over and fell sideways down the cliff.

When the dust settled at the bottom of an emptied lake bed everyone got out and found the worst injury was to Kaseja who was howled in absolute agony. Katie rushed to her side to find her tail had been crushed under a seat when it came loose on its track and caught her tail between its wheels and the track.

"Guys we have to run, the hoard is coming down the cliff!" Ben shouted and cocked his shotgun.

"We can't, Kaseja is stuck!" Katie shouted.

"Leave her, she's just a dog!" Roy shouted and began to run, Ben and Jewel after him. Atticus had Scout in his arms and Jem following close behind him. Holden was dusting off Pheobe to make sure she was okay before lifting her up.

"I'm not leaving without her!" Katie shouted and tried to free her tail from the seat track. Kaseja screamed and whimpered but could not get free.

"Holden get over here" Lannah said and aimed her sights on Kaseja.

"Don't you dare" Katie growled.

**BANG**

Katie burst through the bushes with Pheobe in her arms as the hoard, smaller this time, was gaining once more. Lannah fired off a few shots into the hoard hoping to thin it as they ran. Atticus had found a hunting bunker and pulled everyone in and held still. One window gave a view of a small clearing where bears would be hunted.

"Wait up!" Holden shouted throwing himself into the bunker before the door was closed. He hit the floor and sent Kaseja across the floor with all her legs sprawled out. Holden stood, shirtless and looked from Lannah to Katie then to his little sister. Kaseja whimpered at the stub that was left of her beautiful flowing tail. It was wrapped up in Holden's shirt.

"It's okay baby" Katie whispered to Kaseja falling to her knees and stroking her dog's head.

"It was her tail or her life" Lannah whispered as the thunder of the hoard passed overhead.  
Ben and Roy were busy pulling up a fake moss and grass see through blanket over the lookout window. The hoard passed over without a pause and their shadows could be seen leaping off the bunker and running down through the clearing.

"We cannot keep doing this" Ben said once the danger had passed.

"We need to find a place to secure, a place of our own, for good. We cannot keep running and hiding and surviving on pure luck. With that many of them we must be close to a city, that means food, water, shelter, maybe even weapons and ammo and medical supplies"

"But also means were in for a lot larger hoards, but were going in"

"Ben there is no way we'll survive on foot" Jewel protested.

"Exactly, we've got a chance of supplies in a city; out here we don't have anything"

"Wait" Scout said looking around at everyone "Where's Anya?"


	4. Chapter 4: Into the Belly of the Beast

**CHAPTER 4:** Into the Belly of the Beast

The group stood in silence, the girl they had all risked their lives for had vanished. Ben cleared his voice and broke the silence; he stood tall and made sure he was still in charge and the alpha figure before he spoke.

"Let's move out, the hoard should have been distracted and disband by now. They would be a lesser threat and staying here will cost us good time. We'll use a pack formation while moving though. Jewel, you and Roy will take scout positions up ahead, I know you're tired and all but we need your crossbow skills up front. Katie, if Kaseja is up for it we need her nose in case a walker sneaks up,Holden and Jem will stay with Scout and Pheobe in the center with the shotguns and Lannah you'll do what you do best, Atticus, you and I will hold up the back with whatever weapons we can find"

"Just hold on a second there Benvolio but Jem will not be handling any weapon" Atticus said firmly.

Ben dug around in his right pocket and then his left, his right coat pocket, and then his left before finding a lighter. He lit it up in the dark and moved to the back of the bunker and came back with a large grin on his face holding a sniper and a high quality hunting bow. Jewel gasped and nearly sucked all the air out of the bunker.

"Is that the Silvertip Mountain Cat?" Jewel exhaled and snatched the bow. She examined the fine details of the bow and the tight string. She pulled a glove attached to it off and slid it onto her hand, perfect fit.

"Oh yes, there is now a bright side to this situation" Jewel said as she tossed her crossbow to Ben and dragged a dozen or so arrows out of the dark in a nicely made quiver. Jewel slung the quiver onto her back and smoothly drew an arrow and set it to the bow. Ben opened the door and made sure the coast was clear before giving everyone thumbs up. Roy and Jewel took the lead and everyone followed as Ben demanded, except Jem carried no weapon. He gave up without a fight, understanding his father's wishes, but stayed close to Lannah.

"Stop it" Lannah growled as she caught onto Jem's little helpful deeds. Every time a branch swung out or a stump poked up he would hold it away or warn her with a horribly fake stumble.

"Just trying to help, Atticus is always a gentlemen, I should be too" Jem said carefully, trying to explain his deeds.

"Then go help prego or your sister" Lannah growled.

"Jewel is with Roy and Scout has Holden" Jem said "And I'm here for you"

"Oh, lucky me" Lannah sarcastically and quietly cheered. Jem ignored it.

"Lannah" Jem asked.

"What?"

"Do you miss television?"

"No"

"Lannah?"

"What?"

"Do you miss your home?"

"No"

"Lannah?"

"NO!"

"Bear!" Jem shouted and turned to run but the bear swung out its massive arm and caught his leg. Lannah swooped down and pulled Jem free before the bear got a good grasp and sent a shot into its shoulder at close range, it didn't even blink. Lannah knew it was infected and fired off a round at its skull just as it lunged for her. It landed directly on top of her and crushed her lungs. She could feel it was still alive, trying to get its useless limbs to move. It turned its massive head and opened its jaws over Lannah's chest to strike forward towards her neck.

**THUD**

Lannah grabbed hold of a branch and broke it over the zombie bear's head.

**BANG**

She reached for her shotgun and blew the creature's skull contents into the air. She shut her eyes tightly and closed her mouth as brain leftovers rained down onto her.

"Lannah are you alright?!" Atticus and Ben asked as Holden checked Jem's cuts. The two pushed the beast off Lannah and she got to her feet.

"I've taken down bigger" she chuckled and drew her hunting knife. She began cutting the bear's hide free.

"Oh god, I'm gonna throw up" Jewel said walking into a puddle of brains and then seeing Lannah cutting up the corpse. She ran out of sight and clear gagging noises could be heard.

"Lannah what are you doing?" Katie asked.

"Going to skin it, clean it, dry it, and make a nice coat or something" Lannah answered packing the blood dripping hide into a garbage bag she pulled from her backpack.

"Smart, but gross, let's keep going" Katie said and started walking. Holden carried Jem, his leg pretty torn and hurting too much to put weight on, Scout and Pheobe follow close behind and keep their eyes peeled for dangers. Everyone fell back into order.

The forest began to slope down into a valley and the earth grew boggy and muddy. Some places were almost impossible to walk through but eventually the group made their way to a small gas station by a large highway.

**SHWOOP TA-WING SHWOOP SHWOOP TA-WING **

Ben, who had taken Jewel's old cross bow, and Jewel shot down the only undead in sight and the group headed into the gas station and cleared it out. The place had been used as a shelter before but the last group had left some goods and medical supplies behind in a hurry of some sort. The windows were all boarded up and space behind the counter had been barricaded and secured. The sun was heading down so everyone slept inside the area behind the counter.

Morning came and left without being noticed, it had no way into the gas station refuge locked away from the hell outside. Jem was the first to wake and he woke Scout. They woke everyone else and the group got ready for what was left of the day. They ate the food they found in the gas station and headed out on the road. Roy and Lannah stopped and checked each car for supplies and if they would start us, most had been crashed or driven until the tank was empty. The gas station pumps didn't work so the chances of finding a working car with gas in the tank were slim.

The walk was not long before the city came into view, it was a smaller city but it was sure to have a large enough population of zombies to create dangerously huge hoards under the cover of night. The group moved in close without speaking a word and moved through the streets of a small neighborhood. And there, upon the horizon, stood a figure waving to the group like nothing was wrong.

"Wait" Holden said to Jewel as she aimed her bow at the figure "It's Anya"

The group moved carefully to the figure and it sure enough turned out to be Anya, unphased by the crash or the hoard that had chased her. The group stared at her for a long minute before she simply smiled and waved her hand for the group to follow her, and then ran away. The group hesitated for a moment but followed when Holden led the charge with Jem atop his shoulders. They found her waiting in front of a huge building with big bold letters across the front.

"Heaven" Roy gasped

"Sweet mercy" Jewel smiled

"Costco" Scout read out slowly.

"Well let's not just stand here!" Ben cheered "Let's go clear this place out of the dead and set up camp!"

**BANG BANG BANG**

Bullets rained from the top of the building along with flaming balls of toilet paper. The group instinctively ran toward the nearest shelter, which happened to be another gas station. Once inside the attack ended.

"What was that!?" Jewel shouted.

"Other survivors" Anya said calmly.

"I'll kill 'em!" Lannah shouted and cocked her shotgun charging the door. Ben stood in front of her and stopped her.

"I think we should stop and think a bit first, we don't even know how many they are or why they attacked us" Ben reasoned.

"tzzzzzzzzz beep * Stay away from our fort, you are not welcome* zzzzzzzzzzt" a bullhorn screamed over the city. Ben's expression went blank.

"What do we do now?" Scout asked with a whimper.

"We try and reason with them, but don't be scared Scout, it's not time to worry yet" Atticus said picking up his daughter and cradling her in his arms.

"I hope reason works because the sun is going down real fast" Roy said looking out the gas station window.

"I'll go out" Atticus said and put down Scout. He walked outside and stood in front of the building so he could see the roof.

"Excuse me?" he shouted with his hands cupped around his mouth "Is anyone there whom I may speak to?"

"Go away!" A woman shouted back.

"We mean no harm, we have children and are hungry and tired, and please may we enter just for the night?" Atticus shouted to the rooftop. There was a long silence and Pheobe crossed her fingers and then her older brother's fingers.

"No!" the woman shouted back.

"But Miss we ju-" A shot rang out and Atticus threw his hands up and hurried back to the gas station. Everyone decided to just stay the night there in the gas station, without a word everyone got ready to sleep and just sort of took shifts staying awake and alert for zombies. There really were no words to be said, food and shelter stood before them but it had already been taken by someone else.

The next morning Atticus woke the group to find Katie standing outside the Costco. She was speaking to someone and as soon as the group got outside the metal front doors opened and a boy ran out and Katie ran to him and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. She then rested her chin on his shoulder.

"Keep up the love act or every one of your friends will be shot down" the boy whispered with a smile towards the approaching group members.

"You sure as hell better keep up your end of th-"

"Don't worry sweetie pie, you'll get your foods and bottled water"

"The group too"

"Five cans, three water bottles"

"They can't survive on that" Katie hissed.

"You left me for dead, you will smile and kiss me and like what you get" he growled.

"Matt?" Lannah asked.

"Yeah, I'm sorry you guys, I tried to get them to open up but the best I could get you was a few cans and some water, they saved my life though" Matt smiled.

"Thank god for that, I missed you so much" Katie said in her best cute girl voice and kissed his shoulder. He grabbed her hip and pulled her closer to him.

"I didn't realize how much I hurt you when we broke up and when I didn't come with you guys" Matt said kissing her forehead "They said I could bring you in but you're friends can't, I'm sorry guys but I'll try and send more food out"

Holden stared at Matt until their eyes met and burned into each other's as the tension rose to an unbearable heat.

"Unless you'd rather fight with the people here and try a take what is not yours" Matt growled and Holden broke eye contact, Matt wasn't talking about food and Holden knew it. He met his eyes to each group member until they all stared at the ground. He turned to walk inside but something caught hois arm. He pulled it loose and felt heavy breath in his ear.

"You hurt her and I will make your life a world of endless pain" Lannah hissed in his ear and he chuckled at her holding around Katie's waist and walking her inside the Costco. The doors slammed shut and heavy metal on metal locks could be heard grinding to a secure lock.

"She doesn't love him" Holden growled back in the gas station.

"Love is never predictable" Anya said blankly.

"She wouldn't really choose him over me would she?" Holden asked rhetorically "Like, come on, _he_ dumped _her"_

"Yes but perhaps she still has feelings for him and he learned, being away from her, that he too still had feelings for her?" Anya asked.

"Oh shut up, He's just a big phony, his feelings for her are phony, and everything about him is just phony" Holden growled.

"Holden you said you'd stop calling people phony" Pheobe whined.

"Well it's true!" Holden shouted and got up to inspect the cans they got "And all he gave us was canned fish and beans!"

"Holden cut it out and get a hold of yourself; you never had any intentions of getting intimate with her did you?" Ben asked.

"Well maybe I did" Holden hesitated "I don't really know"

"Exactly, so stop freaking out and bake the beans for dinner already" Ben growled and Holden opened a can of beans and heated them over a grill in the back of the gas station that had been used to make hot dogs. Kaseja whimpered staring out the gas station window at the Costco. Holden whistled to her but she didn't move.

"Kaseja come here, mommy's going to be okay, just lay here by the grill and warm up" Holden said and made Roy and Lannah gasp as Kaseja got up and lay at his feet by the grill wagging her stub of a tail.

In aisle four Jewel lay on her back and poked her belly. Roy rolled onto his side and watched her. She would poke her belly then hold onto it waiting for something to happen.

"What is it?" Roy asked.

"I'm jiggling, Im getting fat" Jewel pouted.

"You need to eat more; you're going to be feeding two mouths"

"So you agree? I'm getting fat?"

"Not fat, babe, pregnant, and not just pregnant dear, beautiful"

"So I wasn't beautiful before? Is that what you're saying then?"

"Oh no, but now you're holding the beauty of two"

"So what? When our baby is born I'll be ugly?"

"No..." Roy said running out of things to say, he knew he was talking to a time bomb and he was cutting every wrong wire and lighting every fuse.

"Hey is that the beans I smell? I'll go get us a bowl" Roy said quickly when he saw Jewel's mouth opening again. He jumped to his feet and rushed over to the grill leaving Jewel to mutter and mumble to herself in anger.

Inside the Costco Matt kept Katie blindfolded and made sure she didn't take it off by telling her that if she did, Kaseja would be the first to go, then Lannah and Holden following. She didn't dare anger him, as he made sure she knew, even though she could not see, that there were at least a dozen people inside the store all ready to shoot on his order.

Matt tried to force Katie into making out with him but she bit his lip. He spit blood and grabbed her wrists as she tried to hit him.

"Just let me sleep already" Katie growled "I know you don't want to kiss me, you just don't want Holden to get to"

"Fine, but you better make those idiots believe you are crazy about me" Matt hissed and Katie went to sleep on a soft mattress with feather blankets and memory foam pillows. Though she could not sleep a second with everyone she held dear in danger and not knowing their very lives relying on her actions.


	5. Chapter5:Sticks,Stones,and Broken hearts

**CHAPTER 5: **Sticks, Stones, and Broken hearts

"Holden don't!" Pheobe cried but he threw her off and ran from the gas station toward the side of the Costco. Atticus grabbed Pheobe before she followed. Ben and Roy went after him, weapons ready. They caught up with him behind the Costco at a less fortified wooden door beside a loading bay.

"Holden what are you doing?" Roy asked in a harsh tone.

"I'm going to find some answers" Holden snapped and took a few steps away from the door.

"What are trying?" Ben asked. Holden ran full speed at the door and burst through it with his shoulder. He managed to stay on his feet and pulled up his gun letting of two rounds into the air. He looked around to find the place was empty of life; the shelves were full of food and water that could feed a large group of people quite comfortably.

"Let's clear it out" Ben said walking inside and they moved like a tactical group in and out of the aisles until they came to a safe room, fortified by couches and kayaks and paddles nailed into everything to keep it together. It was zombie proofed, but not bullet proof.

"Get out of there before we shoot it up!" Holden growled and reloaded his shotgun.

"No wait! Please, you can have the girl back!" A woman's voice called out.

"No, she's staying here" Matt's familiar voice growled.

"Excuse me? Are _you_ the one in charge here?" the woman growled back and a clear slap was heard "Stay it your place, rat"

A kayak shifted and moved to reveal a hidden door. A woman stepped out holding Katie by the arm and helped her down to the floor. The woman was tall and lean with long flowing brown hair down to her chest with a single braid hanging down the left side of her face. She was easily seven feet tall and wore ripped jean shorts that stopped just above her knees and a worm and torn tank top with a bright lime green bra underneath. A black strap across her chest and over one shoulder held a weapon of sorts behind her back. She had deep brown eyes that stared down at the three men.

"Here" She growled and pushed Katie towards them. Ben caught her and took off her blindfold. The woman then pulled the weapon forward, an automatic machine gun "Now get the hell out of here!"

They had gotten Katie back and had an idea of how many could fit in the small safe room and knew the store's size and the aisles but there was no way they could compete with a machine gun wielding seven foot tall woman. Ben swore she was an Amazon woman, a basketball player, on drugs, or something. He had never seen a woman like the leader of Costco. The four left quickly and got to the gas station before lunch.

"What happened?" Lannah asked once they got inside and Katie had been seated and wrapped in blankets.

"There's at least twenty people in there, they all have the same weapons" Katie said rubbing her cheek with her hand hidden under the blanket.

"Are you alright though?" Jewel asked.

"I don't love him, he's an asshole, he tried to kiss me, so I bit his lip" Katie showing her cheek in better light "So he hit me"

Lannah nodded slowly, gears in her head starting to turn, evil thoughts and ideas forming in her skull. She locked eyes with Katie, who nodded, giving her the okay to put her most horrific ideas to work. Katie knew what Lannah was capable of and would never wish her wrath upon any poor soul, but Matt was different. He no longer had a soul that Katie even gave the effort to pity anymore.

That night two guards stayed up, Anya had said in her simple ways, that a hoard was headed towards the group. She would vanish for hours during the day but return with simple good or bad news. Holden and Katie sat up on the roof with guns ready.

"I'm glad you're okay" Holden said suddenly. Katie hesitated for a moment watching a moving shadow. But it was only a lone zombie, harmless.

"Thanks"

"He still loves you, I guess"

"No"

"Then why'd he make you kiss him?"

Katie hesitates for a long time before looking over to Holden "To make you jealous"

"Oh" Holden coughed and broke eye contact watching the lone zombie wander into the alley behind the Costco.

"It's stupid really, why would he be jealous of you, right?" Katie said with a half hearted chuckle.

"Yeah, I guess" Holden mumbled.

"It's not like you like me like that or anything" Katie said setting off a bomb in her mind, Holden has playing with his sight on the gun hesitating, as he opened his mouth Katie doubted she wanted to hear his answer, she held her breath. He closed his mouth and stood up and pointed across the Costco parking lot. Katie stood to see but it was only a small pack of wild dogs. The two sat back down.

Katie fought with herself on whether she should restate her question or just leave the awkward silence between them to linger and not make things worse. She shifted around on her stool and felt Holden's hand on her shoulder. She looked over at him and their eyes locked. He pulled her close quickly and locked his lips with hers. He expected her to pull away but she pressed into the kiss willingly.

The two separated and stared in opposite directions. Holden tried to catch his breath and licked his lips, Katie tasted like strawberries. Katie tried to stop herself from spitting, Holden tasted like baked beans, the only meal he'd eaten for the past three days. Costco had some strawberry gum Katie had been chewing.

"I just-" Holden tried.

"Yeah-" Katie cut him off.

"You know" Holden said cutting Katie off. The two sat for a good hour without a single word.

"My breath stinks doesn't it?" Holden finally asked.

"Well..."

"Honestly"

"You smell and taste like old beans"

"Oh"

Katie dug in her pocket and pulled out a stick of gum and bit one half off and held out the other for Holden. He took it and popped it in his mouth. They watched the road for a while, shadows rose up and fell but there was no sign of a hoard. Around two in the morning Roy and Atticus came up and Holden went down the ladder after Katie and they lay down in aisle six, alone. Holden pulled Katie close once more and their lips locked.

"How's my breath now?" Holden asked catching his breath.

"Better, much better" Katie said rolling over and going to sleep. Holden stared at the ceiling for a long time. He knew he needed his sleep but he started thinking of how much he had changed. He had trusted no one but Pheobe, everyone else was a phony. Now he was trusting and opening himself up to an entire group and falling for a girl. He rolled over fell asleep watching Katie's blanket rise and fall with her breathing. _Yeah_ he thought _I rather like this family, I rather like it a lot._

The next morning Holden woke up to his body shaking. He opened one eye and found Pheobe and Scout were shaking him. He closed his eye before they noticed then waited until they got close to his face before sitting up quickly.

"Boo!" he shouted and the girls screamed with joy and tried to run but Holden caught Scout's leg and pulled her. Pheobe grabbed Scouts hand and tried to pull her free.

"Help, Help! The zombie's going to eat me!" Scout shrieked and Pheobe tugged with all her might.

"Rawwwr" Holden growled and pretended to bite Scout's ankle. He then let go and sent the girls flying into a pile on the floor.

"Good morning" Jem said, Katie having locked his leg into a splint. She figured out the bear had broken Jem's leg when it swatted him. Lannah had found a piece of wood he could use as a crutch. He hobbled about and was working on his ability to run, like Lannah had told him to. Anya was gone again; the group really didn't worry about her anymore. Her "little blue creatures" took care of her.

"Fish is all rotted, the cans weren't sealed right, were out of beans so we have to send out a scouting team to find more food and water. We had to use a bottle to clean Jem's cuts" Ben said "Holden get ready, you and Lannah will scout east, and Roy and I are headed west"

"God, Jewel, stop eating so much" Holden said walking outside to find her sitting on a bench in front of the gas station.

"Fuck you Caulfield" Jewel growled drinking her shot glass of water. Holden, Ben, and Roy had given up their water so Jewel would stay hydrated. Heading out after Lannah the two walked down Herbert Ave passing a bunch of empty parking lots.

"Holden" Lannah said, restraining herself.

"Yeah?"

"I've known Katie for years, we grew up together, and we've been fighting through hell long before the apocalypse"

"So?"

"I will shatter your knees and burn her name into your calves, then hang you by your elbows over a cage filled with starving dogs and lower you slowly so you will be alive while they eat your feet, then your legs, then your thighs. Then I will leave you in the street and cut out your tongue so we don't hear your screams while you are eaten alive by your fellow heartless beings" Lannah said with a blank facial expression "If you hurt her, that is"

"I'm glad I'm not Matt" Holden said in a weak voice. Lannah chuckled.

"You're really messed up, you know that right?" Holden asked.

"No, I'm just protective of Katie; she's like my sister"

"Why isn't she so protective of you?"

"Do I look like I need protection?!"

"Nope" Holden said quickly and looked into a broken window of an apartment building. Lannah broke in the door and they scouted out the house, they found two blankets and four cans of corn and one can of pasta.

"There's Anya" Lannah said pointing to a rooftop. Holden stopped beside her and they stared up at the girl for a moment.

"And you think I'm messed up" Lannah chuckled and walked away shaking her head. Anya watched the two leave then ran down the building stairs throwing her arms out like she was flying. She tilted her arms with the stairs and stopped on the second floor and stared into an open room.

"Hello?" She called out.

A snarl came from inside the room. Anya walked inside and looked around, it was a nursery. She felt something behind her and a hand grabbed onto her shoulder. Anya spun around and fell backwards. Staring down at her was a half rotted zombie, the skin from its jaws was gone, its skin had turned an awful grey colour and flies buzzed its head. It opened it mouth and snarled again lurching for Anya.

Anya let out a shriek and closed her eyes tightly. But the zombie never landed on her; slowly she opened one eye, and then the other. The zombie lay beside her, its skull lay in pieces, the brain destroyed. Anya darted to her feet and looked around, a flash of blue ended under the nursery cradle. Anya got down on her knees and peaked under the cradle.

"Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii " a growl came from the darkness under the silk sheets. Anya lifted the sheets to expose the underside of the cradle to the light. A small creature, no larger than a cat, stood staring at Anya. It had midnight black eyes on a round little head with a large fin rising from its head. It had three orange whiskers on each cheek and short legs. It had a short flat tail and was a creature Anya had never seen before. Anya put out her hand to the creature.

"You've been following me" Anya giggled "You've been protecting me"

"Kip" the creature replied.

"Hello Kip, I'm Anya" She smiled and scooped up the creature in her arms.

"Why have you been following me?" Anya smiled and carried the creature outside. It squirmed in her arms and climbed up her shoulder and sat atop her head.

"Kip"

"Uhh, okay" Anya giggled. She began to walk back to the gas station when Atticus caught sight of her.

"Any news Anya?" Atticus called and Anya pointed to her head. Atticus came closer and stared at her for a moment.

"Does your head hurt?" He asked.

"No, Kip isn't that heavy actually"

"Anya...who's Kip?"

"This is Kip" Anya smiled pointing to her head again. Atticus was confused. Anya felt the top of her head to find Kip had vanished.

"He must have run off" Anya sighed.

"Is Kip a cat?" Atticus asked, trying to understand if Kip was a real animal or just imaginary.

"Sort of, he's blue though"

"Oh, okay" Atticus said nodding "Well I'll be pleased to meet Mr. Kip when you find him"

"He's real, I'm not crazy" Anya growled.

"I didn't say you were crazy, said I would be pleased to meet him" Atticus said and walked off before Anya could get in another word or argument.

"He thinks I'm crazy" Anya hissed and walked back to the gas station. She knew Kip was real, or she would have been killed in that nursery. Or was the zombie a pigment of her imagination too? No they were both real. They had to be. Weren't they?

When Anya got back to the gas station she saw a figure moving toward the group with a weapon drawn, too aggressively to be a prank and too forward to be a member.

**BANG **

"No!" Pheobe cried out and Jewel screamed at the top of her lungs.

**TA-WING**

The figure fell. Lannah ran out to it.

"If I can't have her, neither can he" Matt growled and Lannah sneered.

**TA-WING TA-WING**

Matt's agonizing screams could be heard clearly for miles. Matt lay on his back with an arrow in each knee and one in his side. He stared up at Lannah, his face turning bright red.

"Lannah" Katie said softly touching her shoulder "He's not even worth it"

"Fine" Lannah sighed and got down beside him tying his hands together with his own scarf.

"Lannah" Roy said simply tending to Holden who took a shot through the shoulder.

"Just disposing of the trash" Lannah said and lifted up Matt, kicking and letting off muffled screams. She carried him as far as she could before the sky became too dark. She threw him down and drew her pocket knife. Matt stared up at her, his anger gone, pure fear setting in. She cut the scarf off.

"I was going to cut you up and leave you for those diseased killers" Lannah growled.

"But you're going to let me off with a slap on the wrist and a warning?" Matt whimpered.

"No" Lannah said and put her pocketknife away.

**BANG**

She ended his life quickly, a single shot to the head, destroying the chances of his reanimation. She saw the shapes starting to move into the darkness and she started to walk away. She glanced back for a second.

"You'd have thanked me" Lannah said and began her walk homewards through the ever growing shadows. She heard the vile creatures of nightmares find Matt's body, but she didn't look back. She just walked home, she would brag about how she killed him when she got there, but she would leave out her mercy shot. She was a killer and a protector. Not a murderer. She told herself.


	6. Chapter 6: Life's rough, Get tough

**CHAPTER 6:** "Life's rough, get tough"

Lannah lay in her sleeping bag tossing and turning. She could not push images of her childhood from her mind. She was cast into a nightmare forced to relive the very past she fought to forget.

"Lannah, My little pumpkin?" Father called. Lannah pushed open the door to her playhouse to see her father and his bright blue eyes waiting for her. He scooped her up and rested her on his hip.

"Where's your pinkie?" he gasped and put Lannah down. She rushed over to her playhouse and pulled out a pink toy rifle.

"There it is!" he laughed. The doorbell rang. Lannah felt her heart jerk as her father went to answer the door. She felt something was wrong. She heard her father shout their safe word and ran into her playhouse. She opened the floor and crawled down into a small child sized bunker. She heard her mother scream as she shut the hidden door behind her. She waited, terrified, for hours on end before she dared open the door and explore her home. She found her mother right away; she was sitting on the sofa with two men in white beside her. She had blood on her forehead and was staring off into the distance. Lannah walked past them un-noticed. She walked into the backyard where a bunch of people in blue outfits were running around something. She walked into the circle of men, pushing her way through and found her father lying on the ground covered in blood. People were trying to move him onto a stretcher and find his pulse. Lannah sat down beside his head and stroked his blood soaked hair. His eyes were dazed but they focused on her.

"Forget this, my pumpkin; you're tough, look after your mother" He said and he was carried off. Lannah never saw him again. Her mother would not allow her to visit him in the hospital. He wanted her to remember him strong and happy, not weak and dependant. Lannah's life never returned to normal, her mother killed herself shortly after her father was put on life support. Lannah was shipped off to an orphanage.

The orphanage was run by an old man and his eldest daughter. Lannah became good friends with the old man, who learned she was tougher than the other children and was well taught with guns. He taught her how to shoot and shoot well. She learned everything about hunting she knew from him. Then one day a new girl joined the orphanage that caught Lannah's eye. An innocent young girl about the same age was taken in kicking and screaming. By then Lannah was ten. That year Lannah became good friends with the girl and learned her name was Katie. She had lost her parents in a car accident but her last sliver of family, her puppy, had been sent to the pound to be put to sleep because it was too aggressive. Lannah asked the old man to adopt the puppy as a hunting dog and this he did. He began training Lannah to shoot birds that Katie ordered her puppy to scare out of hiding. The two became inseparable.

One day though Katie grew very ill and the old man took Lannah out to the hunting forest. She didn't bring a gun so she expected he had them out there. He did have one out in the field but he wasn't going to shoot it. He tried to gently start rubbing Lannah's shoulders but she knew what was going on. She took his gun and demanded an explaination.

"Well the medicine for Katie is very expensive" the old man explained "And I'd rather send her away, but if _you_ want her to stay then_ you_ better do as you're told"

"Whats's wrong with you?"

**BANG**

"I am a leader as my father, you were just a teacher. Now you're the scum my father hunted everyday" Lannah growled and spit at the ground.

She went home and told Miss Hannah, his eldest daughter, that he had jumped at her and it was her first reaction to shoot, just like he taught her. Miss Hannah bought it and called the police to find his body. She never told anyone the truth, not even Katie. But Miss Hannah paid for the medicine using the heritance from her father's death. Katie was safe and healthy, her puppy could stay, Lannah was happy. She knew then that even the men you thought you knew best and trusted could turn on you and she didn't want Katie to learn the same way. So she vowed to protect her new orphan sister from all harm a man could bring her, or be sure to make him suffer for what he had done.

"Lannah!" Katie shouted shaking her awake.

"What?" Lannah yawned.

"You were having a nightmare" Katie said softly "What was it about"

"Nothing" Lannah whispered and rolled over and went back to sleep. Morning did not come for a few more hours and her shift was the night before, she deserved her sleep.

Katie went to sleep, worried about Lannah and her mind drifted to her own past. She hardly remembered it, she had been in the car when someone ran a red light in a pickup and rammed the little family car. It was ripped in half and Katie felt her body slingshot across the intersection. The world became a blur of lights and screams. She didn't remember her half of the car hitting the ground. She did, however, remember the sound of metal being ripping apart by the Jaws of Life.

"Mommy!" She screamed when the firefighters pulled her free from her seat. They bundled her up and bandaged up her minor cuts.

"Daddy!" She cried. The front of the car was gone, it had been completely flattened. She was told at the hospital that her parents passed away and that her puppy that she got for her fifth birthday was being put down. Her life was in ruins.

"You are going to a nice place with other children to play with" A woman said taking her hand. Katie pulled her hand free, she was angry; she wanted to go home to her place and her stuff. She just wanted to run home and go to sleep between her two parents.

"I don't want to! Kaseja needs me!" Katie screamed.

"Keseja was a bad doggy, I'm sure you can get a new nicer doggy"

"Where is _MY_ doggy?!"

"Keseja bit a lot of people when they went to get her. She is going to a better place"

"Like Mommy and Daddy?"

The woman thought for a moment before nodding.

**"YOU KILLED KASEJA?!"**

"No, we, just, whatever, I have twenty other children to place in orphanages too"

"I'm going where?"

The woman took Katie's hand and dragged her out to her car and forced her inside. She kicked and screamed the entire way to the orphanage. The woman dragged her inside where she was left in a room with eight other kids. She sat down on a bed and a girl came over to her.

"That's my bed" she growled. Katie got up and moved to another bed. The same girl went over to her again.

"That's my bed too" she said pushing Katie off the bed. She looked at the other kids, two and two sharing only two beds, and the other four belonging to the large girl. Then another girl came into the room and threw down an empty rifle bag. She sat down on the first bed Katie had sat on. The big girl came over. The girl put up her finger.

"You new?"

"yeah?"

"Okay, you sleep on the floor. Kids get your beds; another new kid should be here soon"

"Right here" Katie said standing up.

"Whatever"

"What's your name?"

"Lannah"

"I'm Katie"

"Whatever"

"You hunt?"

"Yeah"

"I was going to train my dog to hunt, but the murderer that brought me here killed her"

"Just sent her to the pound, that what they always do"

Katie thought for a moment before sitting down on the bed beside Lannah's.

"So Kaseja is alive?"

"Yeah, whatever"

"Do you think Miss Hannah will adopt her?"

"Not in a million years"

"But..."

"Whatever"

"Stop saying that!" Katie growled "I just had everything torn away from me!"

"Life's rough, get tough"

"Kaseja is all I have left and she's alone in hell!"

"Weakling"

"I'll kill you!" Katie screamed and launched at Lannah knocking her off her bed and onto the floor. Lannah got Katie into a headlock but no matter how much she pressed her arm behind her back, millimetres from snapping it, Katie would not give up. Lannah let go of her and stood up. Katie stood up and they stared at each other.

"She can hunt?"

"She will"

"Hello I'm Lannah"

"Hi, I'm Katie"

After that Katie and Lannah became good friends and became best friends when Lannah surprised her one night with Kaseja. Katie became friends with the old man too and taught Kaseja to obey every command only when she said it.

Katie fell ill when she was stung by a bee and learned she was allergic. Her symptoms became close to death when she learned Lannah had shot the old man by accident but the medicine suddenly became available and she was given a shot that helped her symptoms so she could return to normal. She would never ask Lannah what happened in the woods but knew Lannah was there for her, always.

After a few months the orphanage fell apart without the old man's up keep and everyone was sent away. Katie took up Miss Hannah's offer and brought Lannah along to Miss Hannah's Uncle. They met his son and nephew, James and Matt. She fell in love with Matt but the relationship ended harshly when he dumped her for another girl in town. Lannah went out one night and Matt came home with a black eye and walked around the rest of the week holding an ice pack to his crotch.


	7. Chapter 7: New place, New problems

**CHAPTER 7: **New place, New problems

The night hopeless, the most dangerous time of the month, Jewel was having her moods and it was a no moon night. Atticus sat atop the roof alone on duty, Roy lay asleep beside him. He was no help anyways, he talked too much. Something moved in the shadows that caused Atticus to jump, a figure was moving at the Costco parking lot. Not just a lone zombie, it was moving cautiously. Atticus took his gun with adjusted his scope and watched as a woman and two men following her in the shadows went up to a truck and siphoned some gas out. Atticus saw a zombie moving in on them and pulled up his new rifle, a gift from Jewel. He got it in his sights then shot. Without a sound the zombie's brains exploded and it fell to the ground beside the three. They stared at it like it was the first time they had seen a zombie. The woman stared up to the gas station roof and spotted Atticus.

Had she only known what the shot had both cost and gained him. How hard it was for him to pull the trigger even if it was an undead. But he had saved their lives and that worked for him, even if his help would not be noticed.

"Atticus, do you know anything about these cans?" Katie asked the next morning waking him and Roy up. Atticus watched as Scout and Pheobe made several trips with cans of pasta and pears, mushrooms, chicken noodle soup, and even a box of crackers to go with it. A small note was also left outside. It simply read:

**_THANK YOU_**

Atticus just smiled and shook his head. Roy made chicken noodle soup and everyone got two crackers. Breakfast was splendid and everyone licked their bowls or cups clean whatever they could find to hold their soup in. The day started off with all smiles.

Atticus went for the Costco when no one was paying attention and found the trunk was empty for fuel. He found Holden and asked if the Costco had lights on and he said that he was sure he saw lights on. Atticus found his way to the back of the Costco and heard a racket and something hurrying about. He turned the corner his gun at the ready and found the seven foot goddess, the leader of the Costco.

"I can give you more, don't shoot" she growled.

"I'm not going to shoot you" Atticus said lowering his rifle "I came to say thank you"

"You saved my life, I was thanking you" she said sitting down on a flipped trashcan.

"You have generators don't you?" Atticus asked.

"What?"

"That's why you were going after the gas, for the generators. Then you have CB radios in there too"

"Maybe, why?"

"A CB radio can be used to send a call across the country for help and for refugees to come here, to safety" Atticus explained.

"This is my place of safety, my food, and my power" she said getting up and moving for the door. Atticus grabbed her arm.

"You're not as safe as you thought, are you?" Atticus asked "We have some of the best shots in the country. We could keep you safe"

"I barely need to leave, I can give up safety for the extra food I don't have to feed your large group" she growled.

"If you ever need help, we're right across the road" Atticus said "Just ask for Mr. Finch"

"Name's Savanna" She said before going inside and Atticus could hear the door being locked and boarded up. Atticus walked back to the gas station and chuckled to himself. Ben came back with a child's book and gave it to Atticus who read it to Pheobe, Scout, and Jem before bedtime.

"Then the mouse chewed the netting and set the lion free" Atticus said with a smile "The end"

"What's the moral of the story?" Atticus asked.

"That what goes around, comes around?" Pheobe asked.

"That's called Karma" Jem said.

"So the lion spares the mouse and then the mouse saves the lion in return?" Scout asked.

"Is there something wrong Scout?" Atticus asked.

"The mouse saved the lion but now he has to worry about the lion eating him again, they're even" Scout said.

"But they now have a bond" Atticus said "A friendship"

"Atticus?" Scout asked

"Yes?"

"Why did we get food from the Costco people?" Scout asked.

"Yeah, what was the thank you for?" Pheobe asked.

"Just helping a neighbor out. They may not like it but we're all in this together" Atticus said kissing each child on the forehead "Now good night"

He turned out the light and went up to the roof. He found Lannah and Katie chatting away.

"Oh, Atticus, you took last night and you really need your sleep to keep up with Scout, your taking her tomorrow" Katie chuckled.

"Thank you Katie" Atticus smiled and started back down the ladder and nodded towards Lannah "Lannah, good night to you both"

The next morning Atticus shot awake at the sound of pure pain. Jewel howled and screamed and arched her back until she was barely touching the ground. Ben and Holden were at her sides and Roy was patting her forehead with a damp cloth.

"Atticus what do we do? She's been like this for the past hour" Katie said rushing in with more water "She's burning up"

"There must be something wrong with the baby" Roy shouted, panicking.

"Cramps, its cramps" Atticus said and headed out the door.

"What are you doing?" Katie shouted after him.

"To get help" He said and walked right for Costco's back door. He pounded on it and shouted for Savanna. The door opened and she took him inside, blindfolded.

"Jewel needs medication, she is having pain and cramps due to her pregnancy" Atticus explained "She won't last long without it and could damage the baby if she gets too stressed out"

"We've used almost all we have to spare for hunters" Savanna said with a smirk hidden from his view.

"This isn't a joke; a woman is in pain out there and she might lose her first child" Atticus growled and tore off his blindfold. Standing before him was Savanna. Two young boys and behind her, watching from a poor hiding place were two young girls. There were no more and no less. No heavily armed men, nothing, just Savanna and one machine gun. Which Atticus recognized was empty. He barged past them and they moved out of his way quickly. He found the pharmacy and rooted through some pills and syrups until he found what he was looking for, and then left.

"Thank you" He called as he closed the backdoor behind him. He rushed back to the gas station and gave Jewel the pills.

"You're trying to kill my baby!" She screamed.

"My wife had the same thing when she was pregnant with Jem. It will just make the pain go away" Atticus promised and Jewel swallowed two and chased them with a full bottle of water. No one protested, she'd break their hand if they tried to take it from her. The group listened in horror for half an hour before slowly her screams turned to whining, then to small pouts, then soft whimpers as she fell asleep.

"Atticus you're a life saver" Roy whispered. He stayed by his wife wiping sweat from her brow and gently dabbing cool water onto her face.

"Atticus how did you get medicine from them?" Katie asked.

"I just asked nicely" He said and went outside to catch some air. Katie followed.

"They didn't take anything?" She asked.

"There are only children there" Atticus explained "They faked everything, but they may have a CB radio and generators"

"Generators?" Katie asked, excited.

"They've locked the place up for sure though"

"At least we know what were up against now"

"Yes, four children and a strong leader, maybe twenty five, at most" Atticus said as he sat down on the bench and Katie sat beside him.

"Do you think they will stay long if they know that we know that they are defenceless?"

"I reckon they will flee"

"Do you think there is any way to keep them here? We didn't want to drive them off"

"They know that we mean no harm, I believe Savanna would rather keep the children loyal to her, I don't believe she could share the alpha roll with Ben very well"

"Hey, when did you guys decide Ben would be the leader and all?"

"It was never really decided, James was in charge at the farm and Ben was okay with that but once he passed then everyone just looked to Ben. He took charge naturally but I don't believe it will last long"

"What do you mean?"

"Ben seems to be slipping and no one had taken charge yet, but I have been keeping an eye on your friend"

"Lannah?" Katie asked.

"Yes, Lannah, she has quite the alpha personality and I believe she will take on the roll naturally"

"I'm not so sure" Katie said rubbing the back of her head.

**BANG **_sput sput_

"What was that?" Katie shouted taking a shotgun that had been leaning against the bench. Atticus stood and put a hand on Katie's shotgun, forcing her to lower it.

"A car" He said and a large armored van pulled out of the Costco loading bay and drove down the road until it was out of sight.

"Did the Costco guys just leave?" Holden asked coming out in a rush, weapon drawn.

"Yeah" Katie said, flabbergasted.

"Well let's go!" Holden shouted and ran back inside to get everyone else.

"Guys, come on, the Costco is empty, they've left!" He shouted inside and Ben grabbed Holden's mouth so he couldn't speak.

"Jewel is sleeping" He growled.

Roy lifted her up and carried her as Atticus got the children and Lannah got the weapons. Everyone else grabbed blankets and clothing. They hurried over to the Costco and around to the back. Atticus opened the backdoor, which had been left unlocked, and everyone hurried inside. Locking up the backdoor and barricading it the group searched out the new place.

Roy found some mattresses and laid Jewel down and covered her with blankets. He lay down beside her and slept. He had not felt such a wonderful bed since he had a bed back at James' farm. Even then it was rock hard; he pressed down on the mattress and pulled up his hand quickly. His hand print stayed and he smiled.

"Memory foam" He whispered to himself before dozing off.

"Scout come quick!" Pheobe whispered loudly and Scout rushed over. Pheobe held up two boxes of cookies. Scout felt eyes on her and turned to find Atticus staring down at her.

"Just one?" Scout asked innocently.

"Alright" Atticus said with a heavy sigh. Scout leapt up and gave her father a kiss before rushing off with Pheobe.

Jem hobbled around the Costco searching for something to entertain him and heard angry and scared voices screaming. He turned quickly; he looked around and found he was alone. Still he heard the voices.

"Who's there?" he asked but the voices carried on like they hadn't heard him.

"Hello?" he asked walking down the next aisle.

"Is there anyone out there?! Please, we're going through Felwood, is there anyone out there?" a radio pleaded. Jem stared at it for a moment.

"Atticus! Ben!" Jem shouted and they came running, afraid Jem had hurt himself. Atticus picked up the radio and found it was plugged into several power cords that ran to the safe room. Inside they found generators.

"Hello, who is this?" Ben asked over the radio.

"This is Private Jace Mortan. I have two civilians with me, where is the closest military base?"

"This is Benvolio Montague; we are a group of survivor held up at the Costco. There are no military bases for miles"

"Are you willing to board three for the night?"

"Yes, find your way to the loading bay and we will open our doors" Ben said with a smile.

"This place is perfect for a permanent home" Ben said to Atticus putting down the radio microphone.

"Thank you Sir" the private said before the radio went dead.

"It is" Atticus agreed as they followed the generator cords to a row of solar panels on the roof. But wires were loose and tangled. The Costco group had tried to set up a renewable resource for their power but had failed. Ben got Roy to go up the roof and nearly killed himself laughing.

"What is it?" Ben asked

"It's finished, put together perfectly too" Roy chuckled wiping a tear from his eye "They didn't plug the panels to the cord right!"

Roy got down and with some tape and a pair of pliers he twisted a red wire off a blue and to another red wire. Then he took the blue and twisted it to a green wire the red wire was twisted to before. A buzzing sound chould be heard and Roy taped up the wire so no one could touch it.

"Done" Roy said shaking his head "they were so close"

"Morning" Jewel grumbled drawling out of bed and to a table Ben set up. It had chairs all around and bowls set up with cereal. There was a jug of milk made from a package of powdered milk and juice boxes. It was a breakfast feast. There would have been bacon but the meat section had been cleaned out, literally, the smell of bleach was ripe.

"This is amazing" Katie exclaimed chowing down. Kaseja lay beside the table eating dry food they had found her; it had been months since she had dry food, usually eating scraps or a small portion of beans. She enjoyed herself, not wolfing her meal down but eating it contently.

"So there's going to be a soldier staying here?" Lannah asked.

"Yes, But its dark out already, he should arrive tomorrow" Ben said sucking his juice box dry.

"I'll sleep on the roof then" Lannah said drinking the milk out of her bowl them wiping her face off on her wrist.

"Why?" Jewel asked boldly.

"It's none of your concern" Lannha growled.

"Why?" Jewel asked again. She was ready to pick a fight with anyone.

"I don't play well with others" Lannah snarled and left. She knew Jewel wasn't herself; she had been looking a tad plump.

"Hello" Anya said nearly causing Lannah to jump out of her skin. Lannah sat cross-legged watching Anya. Anya sat on the edge of the roof, Lannah feared simply blowing on her would cause her to fall over the edge.

"Hey" Lannah smirked.

"A soldier is close" Anya said blankly.

"I know"

"The soldier is in danger" Anya said and pointed off the roof. Lannah stood and followed the direction to a hoard moving towards the building.

"We're in danger, we have to lock up" Lannah said turning to rush down the stairs but Anya caught her by the shoulder.

"The soldier is trained by the government" Anya said staring into Lannah's eyes "But his heart is with innocence. Something a government does not have"

"So you're trying to tell me that this guy doesn't work for the government?"

"No one does anymore" Anya said "But most are ignorant to the fact"

"Believing there still are laws and rules to follow" Lannah said before racing down the stairs and explaining the news of the hoard.

"Oh there are laws and rules to follow, just not set by anything we could ever understand" Anya chuckled watching the hoard stalk closer.

"Kip" Kip squeaked and climbed onto Anya's head.

"We better be leaving, you're right" Anya sighed "I'd hate to be around when that wave hits, if it senses they're in here"

"Kip"

"Then dive we shall" Anya said. Lannah came back up the stairs just to see Anya stand on the edge of the building and, elegantly as a swan, she did a back flip into a swan dive. Straight for the asphalt below.

"Anya!" Lannah shouted running and looking down to the ground below, it was too late even if she did survive the three story drop. The hoard had split and was going around the building on both sides. If they detected even the slightest human movement they would all attack. Lannah rushed back downstairs and got into the safe room. Everyone held still, every breath was like tip-toeing over egg shells.

"Holden" Pheobe whimpered.

"Shhhh" Holden hushed rocking her in his arms "Were safe here"


	8. Chapter 8: Hide me, from my love

**CHAPTER 8: **Hide me, (from) my love.

"Are they gone?" Scout asked.

"I'm not sure" Ben said and opened the door to the safe room a crack. Lannah pressed to the front and opened the door. She got out and looked around.

"All clear" She said and Ben and Roy helped Jewel out. Atticus got the children and they went to find something to eat. Holden got out and held out his hand for Katie. Helping her out. She smiled and turned to give him a peck on the cheek and a thank you but Holden had vanished.

"Hey Jewel have you noticed Holden has been gone a lot?" Katie asked.

"Yeah, I wouldn't usually notice but I saw him sneaking off" Jewel said staring at herself in a mirror. She pulled up her shirt, rubbing her bloated stomach.

"Thanks" Katie said.

"Wait"

"Yes?"

"Do I look fat? Not pregnant, but fat?" Jewel asked.

"No, if anything I'd have to say you were looking a bit boney in the face"

"Really?"

"Yeah" Katie said taking off. She hunted down Pheobe. She was hiding under a bed from Scout. Jem and her were the hiders and Scout was the seeker.

"Do you know where your brother is?" Katie whispered.

"I saw him in aisle four" Pheobe said shooing Katie away from her hiding spot. Katie found aisle four and it was just furniture, tables and chairs.

"Holden!" Katie growled catching sight of him through the shelves in the next aisle over.

"Katie!" Holden exclaimed "why are we yelling each other's names?"

"Have you been trying to avoid me?"

"Oh, no, not at all. I've just been helping out Roy with the electronics on the roof"

"Pheobe said she saw you in this aisle"

"Yeah, I was getting Roy a chair" Holden explained.

"So are you finished helping him so we can spend some time together?" Katie smiled.

"Oh, damn, I'm sorry. I promised Ben to help him with food storage" Holden sighed and gave Katie a peck on the cheek "We'll have our time later, don't worry"

"But..." Katie said as Holden rushed out of earshot. Katie went to the main table and pulled apart her shotgun, cleaning it.

"Hey Katie, something wrong?" Roy asked sitting down across from her.

"No"

"Are you sure?"

"Holden has been so busy helping everyone out that he hasn't had much time for me" Katie sighed.

"Oh, what's he been up to?"

"Well he has gone to help Ben in food storage after he helped you with the wiring on the roof"

"No" Roy said hesitating, thinking for a moment "I never got any help from him, it would have been nice though"

"He brought you up a chair though right?"

"That would have been great" Roy said rubbing his sore back "but he never came up to the roof the entire time I was working"

Katie snarled, she knew it. Holden had been avoiding her and making up reasons as to why he was not with her. She got up huffing and puffed out her chest.

"Uh, Katie?" Roy asked but Katie ignored him. She headed right for food storage and found Ben immediately. She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down slightly, to her level.

"Where is Holden" She growled.

"H-he was just h-here" Ben gulped "He picked up a few things and left"

"He hasn't helped you with inventory at all?"

"No?" Ben said questioningly. Katie threw him into a shelf.

"Where is he?!" Katie shouted at Ben. He pointed out of the storage toward aisle twenty.

"Arghhh!" Katie snarled and stormed out of the food storage area.

"This is just crafts!" Katie growled grabbing some candle sticks and snapping them in half.

"Found...you?" Jem said jumping from behind a box with his crutches.

"Oh...Jem...hey"

"Is something the matter?" Jem asked.

"I just can't find Holden; he has been hiding from me"

"Are you guys playing hide and seek too then?" Jem asked with a smile.

"Yeah, we are" Katie growled "Let me know if you find that...that...guy"

"Okay..."

"What was that about?" Scout whispered from behind a box once Katie had left.

"I reckon Holden is in _big_ trouble" Jem said and the two hurried off to find Holden before Katie did.

"Katie?" Pheobe called and Katie found her walking down the aisles.

"Yes Pheobe?"

"I just saw Holden headed for the roof" Pheobe said and Katie rushed off.

"Thank you!" she called

She started up the stairs and got to the roof in no time. The cool and sudden blast of air was refreshing and got her to stop for a moment and relax.

"Hello Katie" Atticus greeted her. Katie glared around the roof.

"Where's Holden?" she growled.

"Holden? He went downstairs just a moment ago" Atticus said "Are you having any issues with him?"

"He has been avoiding me ever since..." Katie hesitated "Ever since he and the others rescued me from Matt"

Atticus could tell she was lying about something but also knew Holden had been acting strangely around Katie ever since that day. He sat down and patted the ledge beside him.

"Why do you think he would be running from you?" He asked. Katie sat down beside him and let out a heavy sigh.

"I have no idea. He has lying about where he has been and running off to help people but when I ask them they say he was never there" Katie sighed "What's wrong with me Atticus?"

"What do you mean Katie?"

"Well after Matt and I broke up I couldn't get a moment away from him, he was always chasing _me_ now Holden is trying to get away from me and I am chasing _him_"

"There is nothing wrong with you" Atticus smiled "It may not be Holden, but you'll find the guy that chases you, and you want to chase him back"

"Is that how your wife was?"

"Oh yes" he chuckled.

"You don't talk about her much"

"It's hard on Scout and Jem, Jem lost her when he was so young and Scout cannot remember her face, oh she was only a toddler"

"I don't want to waste time and energy chasing a boy that is trying to get away from me. When I find Holden I'm going to end it"

"End what?" Atticus asked, teasing slightly.

"Nothing!" Katie exclaimed running down the steps. She got herself ready, her heart encased in stone, her eyes as sly as a snake, her fists clenched tight. It was dark out and she didn't want to go to bed angry.

"Katie!" a shout stopped her in her tracks. She turned, nostrils flaring. It was Holden and he was waving at her to go over to him. She stomped over, ready to let loose on him.

"I want you  
to see something" He said and opened the door to the men's restroom. She covered her eyes.

"Gross!"

"No, it was being redone; it's not a washroom anymore" Holden said and Katie uncovered her eyes and punched Holden in the shoulder.

"You have been avoiding me all week! What? One little kiss and you're through with me?!" Katie growled. Holden forcefully grabbed her shoulder and turned her and pushed her into the room.

"Holden..." Katie sputtered.

Inside was lit up by candles and in the center of the unfinished room was a carpet rolled out and a table with two chairs. Two glass plates and a dinner was served, hot steaming pasta. A wine bottle and glasses sat at the ready.

"It's too phony isn't it?" Holden sighed.

"No, it's perfect" Katie said kissing his cheek "Oh Holden, is this a date?"

"Yeah" Holden said and Katie sat down. He pushed her seat in for her and sat down himself.

"Oh this is amazing!" Katie smiled as she sucked up a noodle and it flicked pasta sauce on her nose. She chuckled and wiped it off.

"No guy has ever done this for me Holden"

"I'm a gentlemen, or at least Atticus wants me to be" He chuckled.

"Some bubbly wine?" He asked opening the screw top.

"I don't drink, I'm sorry"

"I could not find any real wine, this is the phony stuff"

"Oh, then yes please"

Holden poured them both some fake wine and they ate and talked away the night and did not get to bed until early morning. Katie smiled and rubbed her eyes awake. She had a wonderful date. She yawned and rolled over. She was staring right at Holden. She bit her tongue, not remembering when he got into bed with her or what time in the morning when she herself got into bed. There was no alcohol; Holden even held off smoking, there was no way for her memory to have gotten so foggy other than lack of sleep. Had they done anything? She swallowed hard as he turned over and saw her nail marks on his bare back.

"Oh god" Katie whimpered.


	9. Chapter 9: Hell on the horizon

**CHAPTER 9: **Hell on the horizon

"Did we?" Katie asked as Holden opened his eyes.

"We necked a bit" Holden yawned.

"That's it right?"

"Yeah" Holden said getting out of bed and grabbed his shirt off the floor and putting it on.

"The soldier is here!" Scout shouted and Atticus got the children into the safe room before they opened up the loading bay door for the soldier.

"Jace Mortan?" Ben asked shaking the man's hand.

"Benvolio Montague?" The private asked and came inside.

"Where are the civilians?" Atticus asked.

"They didn't make it" Mortan said hanging his head "He wouldn't give himself up, he was bitten and he endangered the girl and myself, he got her in the night, I barely made it out alive"

Annah watched the soldier carefully, something was not right about him and she could sense it. She kept a close eye on him as he was served food. Katie sat down next to him and Lannah went over to sit between them but smiled when Holden did. Lannah was starting to like Holden; he protected Katie like Lannah would and seemed to know when something was wrong as well.

"Katie" Lannah whispered pulling her into the women's restroom while no one was watching "Don't get too close to the soldier, something is wrong with him"

"Lannah" Katie scoffed "You sound like Holden, stop being so paranoid!"

"But-"

"But nothing, you guys need to trust people more" Katie growled and stomped off. Lannah knew where she could find answers and went to the roof. She found Holden there too.

"What are you doing here?" Lannah asked.

"Same as you, looking for Anya" Holden said and looked down off one side of the roof.

"She hasn't been around for weeks" Lannah growled and sat down cross legged on the ledge.

"Then why are you up here?" Holdean asked.

"Okay so I was hoping Anya was going to be here too" Lannah gave up. She crossed her arms and shook her head.

"What?"

"Something is off about Mortan" Lannah said and locked eyes with Holden.

"I know, he just seems too...phony"

"Exactly"

"Hell" A sweet voice said and Lannah looked behind her to see Anya hanging onto the side of the building. She pulled Anya up and both Holden and her stared at Anya.

"Hell, hell, hell, oh this should be fun!" Anya sang.

"What are you talking about?" Holden asked.

"This man is filled with fire, oh, what a delight!" Anya sang dancing around.

"Fire, hell, those things are bad, very bad" Lannah said in simple words for Anya.

"Oh, nonono, this will be fun! The drama is sure to be entertaining!" Anya smiled.

"Is he a danger to us or not?" Holden growled and Anya flinched away from him.

"Fierce, ouch, I didn't expect that from a tame city boy like you" Anya giggled and danced circles around Holden "The private is a leader with a heart of fire, oh goodie, but who shall be his bride?"

"Bride?" Lannah exclaimed.

"Oh yes, he comes for a bride! Even knows not this, but I do!" Anya joyously squealed.

"Crazy" Holden and Lannah said in unison.

"No one ever believes the crazy chick, until something goes horribly wrong" Anya shrugged and walked down the stairs into the building. Holden stared awkwardly at Lannah for a moment before she left too. He stared down at his shoes. He really hoped if Anya was right, she did not mean Katie.

Roy had been up the night before working on some radios and other things he had kept hidden. When Holden rejoined everyone at the dinner table Roy brought out a radio that had been torn apart and put together with an IPod and some speakers. Roy turned on his funny looking contraption and sweet music flowed from the radio. Everyone gasped as their ears filled with simple demo music of rushing waterfalls and birds singing.

**SMASH CRUNCH SMASH SMASH**

"What are you doing?!" Roy cried as Anya stood over the remains of the music player with a five iron golf club.

"If we can hear it, so can they" Anya growled.

"But I spent days on this!" Roy whimpered kneeling over the scraps.

"Stupid" Anya growled and strolled away. Ben went after her but Jace followed.

"Anya wait!" Ben shouted and caught Anya's arm as she was about to walk outside, using the first floor door for once.

"You could give a bit more warning next time, he could have just turned it off. Remember we took you in, not the other way around" Ben said harshly.

"Because of me you're in the Costco and not that gas station anymore, why do you think the hoard did not hear you and try and get in?" Anya snapped "Why do you think you survived out of the forest after you rolled the van down the ditch, and finding the gas station in the first place?"

"You?" Ben asked with his throat dry and rough.

"No, the freaking tooth fairy!" Anya shouted and threw her hands in the air.

"So?"

"Yes me!" Anya growled and left, slamming the door behind her.

"I'll try talking with her" Jace said and followed Anya outside.

Ben hesitated, standing at the door. He had no idea how much Anya had done for the group and he just yelled at her for not having done anything. He hit his head against the door and it opened slightly. He gasped as he saw Anya lift a shovel and swing it at Jace who was on his knees before her. The spade broke off the wooden handle in a shower of splinters as it made contact with the side of Jace's head. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he fell to the pavement with cloudy eyes.

"Anya!" Ben shouted and raced outside and fell to Jace's side.

"He's all yours, I am done with you people" Anya growled and left. She walked down the main street and Ben watched her leave for a moment before lifting under Jace's arms and pulling him toward the door. Ben was busy trying to get the door open but Jace could see Anya clearly as a hoard smelt his blood and forms in front of her. She should have turned and run but she walked right toward the hoard.

Jace pointed toward her and tried to speak but his jaw was swelling up too much. The hoard split and moved around Anya as if she were poison to their cause. They ran toward the scent of blood on Jace. Ben got the door open and pulled Jace inside to safety. Just as the door closed he saw the hoard had already caught sight of them inside. They knew, with what little mind they had left, that their ultimate goal was to further the infection and to do so they must get inside. By throwing their rotting and fragile bodies at the metal doors until something happened.

"We have to get to the roof, a hoard is coming!" Ben shouted and everyone shot to their feet.

"But we could just stay quiet like last time" Katie said.

"We only survived that time because of Anya, she just flipped out and beat Jace with a shovel, I doubt she is going to help us this time" Ben said. Holden and Roy helped get Jace up the stairs. Without a doubt they looked over the sides of the building to see the hoard was double, easily triple in size and completely surrounded the building. They watched in horror as the dead began to pile up, the doors grew weak against their weight. Two of the three doors were safe and boarded and piled up but the third was dangerously weak.

"They're going to get in the next building was a good twenty feet away and was a parking garage. It would be the only building they could have fled to, but it was now impossible. They ran around the building for escapes. There was a fire escape but it only led down to the hoard, there was no escape.

"If they get in, we're done for" Lannah sighed cocking her shotgun.

"There has to be a way out of here, there must be, right?" Jem said peeking over the edge.

"That witch left us for dead" Jace said. Scout had grabbed an ice pack and Jace's swelling had gone down enough for him to shout like his mouth was filled with food.

"Don't you call her a bitch, she saved our lives many times" Holden growled.

"WITCH" Jace shouted at the top of his lungs.

"A witch?" Atticus repeated.

"That's imposs...well it would make sense" Roy said rubbing the back of his head.

"She saved our lives, witch or not we owe her, and we can't start doubting her now" Holden tried.

"Look what she did to my face!" Jace shouted. Kaseja started to growl and Katie turned toward the parking building. There stood Anya on the roof. Katie covered her eyes from the sun and tried to get a clear view of the witch, she had something blue on her head.

"Anya?" Katie said and everyone else turned to see.

"Anya! Help!" everyone started to shout desperately. Anya just watched as a spine chilling snap rocked the building frame.

**SKKKKKKKREEEEEEEEEE **

The metal door broke away from its hinges and everyone looked over the edge as the dead stormed inside. They looked back up to Anya and saw the blue thing on her head was gone. Lannah got up on the ledge. Holden took her hand looked into each other's eyes. Holden took Katie's hand, she took his hand and he helped her onto the ledge. She didn't know why, she just felt a calm sweep over her. She took Jewel's hand that held onto Roy's hand. Ben stared at them, terrified.

"Come Pheobe" Holden said and held his little sister tightly. She squeezed Holden's hand.

**BANG ARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH BANG**

Everyone flinched; the dead were breaking down the door. Jewel held out her hand to Atticus and Ben but they refused.

"Have you lost it?" Ben shouted. Kaseja ran and leapt off the roof. Light as a feather on a gust of wind the group on the ledge fell backwards off the building. They held onto each other's hands, none of them screamed, they didn't even flinch. Slowly their eyes closed as the wind picked up. Ben's eyes watered as his love vanished in the ocean of death.

**BANG BOOM BOOM BANG BANG BANG BOOM BOOM**

Atticus and Ben began empting their guns as soon as the door fell open. Three shots went off ending them all. Ben stared at Jace. Atticus lay with his children at his sides, they had gone to sleep, to sleep and be forever quit of the nightmare the earth had fallen to. Jace took his hunting knife and together Ben and Jace joined Atticus, free of the world and its demons.

The sky grew dark as hell itself, the clouds glowed a fiery red. The clouds thundered with the fury of the darkest beasts that lurked only in the nightmares of children. Hell had sent its scouts to earth, and that day hell itself rose. The earth shook with such force a crack in the earth expanded from Japan to France and dropped under the sea only to rise up in New York New York and split the entire northern United States in half. Lava springs and volcanoes rose like weeds filling the streets with the fires of hell.

High upon the city's tallest tower stood Anya and watched as hell escaped and crossed the world over. Her blonde hair flowed in the wicked wind as it thrashed about. Steam rose from the streets as the rain storms freezing rain sizzled.

"North we shall fight, Kip, tis our only hope" She said as Kip climbed to her position and stood beside her, his chest puffed outward toward the blasting wind that tore away their breath.

"May their dreams be sweet and far from this place" Anya sighed and kissed her two fingers and waved it toward the overrun and burning Costco building "May their souls be laid to rest at peace"

"Kip" the blue creature sighed softly.

(This is not the end, the story will continue...)


	10. Chapter 10: To the fires of hell

CHAPTER 10: To the fires of hell...

"We move now" Anya growled and the tired bodies rose. Rubbing their eyes they looked out the hole in the building to what was left of the city.

"You saved us" Roy stated, his mind in a daze.

"Of course" Anya said helping Katie to her feet "You didn't have to stop for me on the road, but you did. You're human, you do stuff like that"

"What happened?" Roy gasped holding onto Jewel as they peered outside the structure, the streets filled with molten lava, ashes snowing from the sky as the clouds cleared to outline a sky of scarlet.

"Hell broke loose, the dead, heh, the departed" Anya chuckled shaking her head "They were only a warning"

Anya helped Katie and Holden to their feet. Holden lifted up Pheobe and rested her on his hip.

"We're going to join mommy and daddy aren't we?" she asked softly. Holden glared at Anya.

"Not if I can help it" Holden growled and Anya directed the coughing and gagging survivors toward a staircase. Heading down toward the lava the temperature grew insufferable and they were forced to seek another means of escape.

Jewel let out a blood chilling shriek and everyone turned to her, frozen in fear. She pointed to Anya and everyone gasped, a small blue creature sat upon her shoulder. It was no larger than a cat with midnight black eyes on a round little head with a large fin rising from its head. It had three orange whiskers on each cheek and short legs. It had a short flat fin for a tail.

"Kip?" it whispered.

"You see him too?" Anya asked.

"Kill it!" Jewel shouted.

"Why?" Roy snapped. Jewel glared at the creature.

"This thing's name is Kip, and he is our way out of here" Anya said and Kip dropped to the floor looking around. He dashed up the stairs and Anya chased after him. Without time to complain everyone followed suit.

"Where did they go?" Holden shouted when they made it up the staircase.

"Over here" Anya called and Holden ran to her voice. Kip was staring at a fire escape, it was smouldering red but slowly water ran from Kip's jaws. He opened his mouth like a cannon and freezing water blasted the fire escape causing steam to rise as thick as fog.

"Get something over your mouths and noses" Katie demanded and took her shirt off and cut it up, giving Holden and Pheobe a piece. She adjusted her grimy tank top and wrapped a strip of cloth around her hand before attempting to touch the fire escape; it was warm to the touch but no longer scorching.

"If we can get down to that bus" Anya said pointing to an over turned transit bus "We can get across to the apartment complex on higher ground and make our way upwards until the lava is gone"

Holden went first, followed by Anya and then Roy. Once everyone was on the final platform of the fire escape Anya took a leap of faith and landed on the bus, gesturing for the others to copy her. Kip kept the bus cooled. Roy was first to follow, landing perfectly; he turned to help catch Katie. She backed up, having a desperate fear of heights, and got a running start to her jump. Holden gripped Pheobe firmly by her belt and, with all his might, threw her forward toward the bus. Roy caught her and handed her to Holden once he landed safely. Jewel jumped quite easily right behind him; the only one left was Lannah.

"Jump!" Katie shouted.

"Kip can't hold on much longer, you have to jump now!" Anya added and Lannah peaked over the edge to the fire below. She kicked off from the edge and lost her balance, hitting the side of the bus with a heavy thud and clawing at the smooth metal, sliding closer and closer to the molten sea below.

"Lannah!" Katie screamed and Roy dropped to his chest and caught Lannah's wrist. Kip stopped spewing water and the bus began to heat up again, causing Roy to sweat quickly.

"Don't drop me!" Lannah shouted and Holden dropped down beside Roy and stretched down his hand.

"Swing your other arm up" Holden said through clenched teeth. Lannah swung her body from side to side, slipping out of Roy's grasp little by little. She threw her arm up and Holden grabbed her arm. He started to pull her up with Roy's help but she fell out of his grip and swung back down to the side, pulling Holden with her. Anya and Katie jumped onto Holden's ankles to keep him from sliding it.

"Pull me up!" Lannah screamed as the boiling lava below burst a bubble, nearly landing a glob on her leg.

"We're trying" Holden growled. Ayna and Katie pulled Holden across the bus but they weren't quick enough, another bubble burst spraying Lannah's leg and melting her jeans to her flesh.

"Gaaaaahhhhhh!" Lannah bawled. Jewel turned away, losing her lunch at the smell of burning tissue. Roy scooped her up and Anya led the group from car to car, Kip growing weaker and each car growing hotter. Finally they got onto the fire escape of the next building, climbing quickly to the roof.

"Kip spray down Lannah's leg" Anya demanded and the creature cooled down Lannah's leg, stopping the burning. Anya kissed Kip's head and he fainted in her lap.

"Where now, genius?" Jewel asked looking around the rooftop "We're still trapped"

"No we're not; If we keep moving north there should be a balcony we can drop to in the next building. From there we can get out of town" Anya said opening her backpack and throwing everything out. She slid Kip inside and closed it securely and strapped it to her back so he could rest. "Wrap up her leg with something, we have to move quickly"

"Why?" Jewel asked, grabbing Anya's arm.

"There is much worse to come, zombies and some lava?" Anya scoffed "Nothing in comparison"

"And how would you know?" Jewel snapped.

"I have been able to see them since I was born, wandering aimlessly. The souls, of these things, are trapped here. If their bodies are set free on earth they won't be lost, just really, really, pissed" Anya explained. Lannah got up on one leg and leaned on Roy, Jewel seemed satisfied with Anya's answer.

"Let's go" Lannah said, forcing a smile. Anya went first, showing everyone the way down, she leapt off the rooftop and kicking off the next buildings wall, which was only about five feet away, a kick off the apartment complex wall and stick a back flip landing on the balcony.

"Show off" Lannah sneered and Katie leapt down, grabbing hold of a clothes line and swinging down safely. The others also found Katie's way easier and copied her instead. Holden attempted to break down the doors to get inside but an all too familiar smell forced him to cringe. There was undead inside, still roaming about.

"You smell them too?" Anya asked and Holden nodded. They had no weapons or means of protection against the walking dead within.

"Why not fly?" Pheobe asked "Like we did off the Costco?"

"That was a onetime thing" Anya explained.

"But they can help us" Pheobe said pointing to a building in the distance. Anya strained her eyes but sure enough she saw a river of blue creatures flowing toward them over rooftops.

"What are they?" Holden asked.

"Kips" Anya smiled "The zombies rise with hell, which means the kips must fall from heaven"

"So were going to be okay?" Pheobe asked.

Holden kneeled down and wrapped and arm around her, kissing her forehead. She rested her head on his shoulder as they watched the Kips grow closer.

"Yeah" Katie chuckled "I guess we are"

The creatures were indeed headed for the group and, upon seeing Kip in Anya's arms, they surrounded the group. They jumped about and squealed like puppies, excited to have found one of their own alive. Explaining their predicament the creatures seemed to understand every word they said. The creatures, with combined strength, were able to help the group down to the streets and create a watered down path for the group to escape the city to the mountains in the north. But still they had their sights set on Canada and its arctic tundra, a safe haven from the dead. But down the other side of the mountains the lava was not yet flowing and at the border, where many had fled during the initial infection, the mass of hoards patrolled the streets in search of tender flesh. The danger was riding as time went on, hell hot on their tails and little chance of survival ahead of them. Hope hung by a thread even with the help of the blue creatures.

"Heh" Lannah chuckled as they made it over the mountain and caught their first glimpse of the wasteland before them, the journey having already been a three day climb "Piece of cake"

"Are you insane?" Holden asked looking at the border crossing with squinted eyes "We'll be lucky if we survive the trip back down"

"No" Lannah shook her head "We'll be fine. Heck, we made it this far. I thought you all were just spineless runts and would die back at the ranch. You've all proved me wrong so far"

"Yeah" Katie said resting a hand on Holden's shoulder, somewhat offended by Lannah's statement "We'll survive this too"


End file.
